Kicking up a stink over estate drainage
Action group’s sewage system fears
Fears have been raised that drains at a new housing estate in Kinross are unable to cope with flows amid reports some residents are having to put up with“a constant smell of sewage in and around their houses”.
A spokesperson for the Lathro Action Group, which formed two years ago in response to a range of concerns surrounding Persimmon Homes’ Lathro Meadows development, said yesterday residents are growing increasingly worried about the design of the drains as the housebuilder is constantly having to hire environmental contractors to empty them.
Ken Whitcombe told the PA he’d spoken to several residents who’ve spotted Enviro-Clean staff working on drains dotted throughout the site over the last few months.
He believes this could be a sign the systems Persimmon Homes have put in place in agreement with Perth and Kinross Council are inadequate.
Mr Whitcombe pointed out this latest perceived problem comes on top of concerns the scheme’s streets are too narrow for two-way traffic, complaints from residents who haven’t received proper completion certificates for their properties and even reports of anti-social behaviour occurring in and around the development.
“Serious questions are now being asked about what appears to be the continued failure of the drains and sewerage system on the troubled development, as large Enviro-Clean pump trucks and tankers have been working on the systems for months now,” he said.
“Although residents and others are being told this is merely a routine operation to pump or flush out a newly installed drainage and sewer system, the continued - and sometimes daily appearance of the trucks suggests this may be a more persistent problem.
“Many new residents describe toilets which fail to flush properly, leaky sinks and bathroom fittings, a constant smell of sewage in and around their houses, and the added difficulty of getting to and from their properties due to the Enviro-Clean trucks completely blocking the narrow roads when they are working on site.
“Several described being given the same excuses whenever they asked for explanations from Persimmon and claimed they are not receiving the duty of care to which they are entitled from the council, despite repeated complaints.”
Mr Whitcombe went on: “We warned the council in writing about the exact problems which have now occurred when planning permission was granted to Persimmon on March 31, 2017, as a number of surveys required by law had not even been carried out, let alone evaluated.
“Surveys that had been completed had also revealed very worrying issues, many of which were bound to result in problems if not addressed at the outset.
“Nevertheless, the council seemed determined to ignore our representations in their ill-advised rush to cut corners and ignore Scottish Government planning policy and statutory requirements, which exist for a purpose.”
“Senior officers of the council were even forced admit to a deputation of ward councillors, which significantly included Callum Purves, that they had failed to comply with the relevant environmental legislation before planning permission for this site was awarded to Persimmon.
“Yet this council still releases statements to the press and others claiming it ‘followed due process’ during the planning process, when this is clearly untrue.”
The council had not responded to Mr Whitcombe’s claims about what had been admitted to councillors by officers by our deadline yesterday but a spokesperson did say: “The council’s planning enforcement team last year received a number of complaints regarding drainage.
“Enviro-Clean have been appointed by the developer to manage silt from the construction process on site. This is being done so that the developer can comply with their construction environmental management plan, as approved by the council as planning authority in consultation with SEPA.”
A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes commented: “The development is under construction and there are numerous activities ongoing, which include cleaning and general maintenance works on the sewers.”