Complaints over building site groundwater discharge
Havant Borough Council has said it will ‘ensure compliance’ from Barratt Homes following ‘potential breaches of planning control’ on a building site in Hayling Island.
Numerous residents have complained to the local authority about the discharge of groundwater from the 195-home estate currently under construction.
Images taken by a local resident show groundwater being pumped out of the development site in Sinah Lane which could affect nearby properties and the local environment.
The council imposed planning conditions on the scheme when it was approved involving the‘ manner and treatment of watercourses, ditches and banks’.
This includes ‘a construction-phase drainage system which ensures all surface water passes through three stages of filtration to prevent pollutants from leaving the site’.
A council spokesperson said: ‘We are reviewing the submitted information as a matter of urgency and are in the process of collecting further evidence to determine the nature of any potential breaches of planning control.
‘Havant Borough Council takes breaches of planning control seriously and is working to resolve the issues that have been reported and has a range of enforcement powers available to ensure compliance.’
Local resident Jonathan
Hulls said: ‘Five houses are now occupied which has led to the foul water system in the estate being used as a sort of cesspool, so the drainage and manholes are filling up with water and the tanker comes in and empties them.
‘At the same time, it’s also emptying stormwater which is in the stormwater system because that’s not connected either and if they don’t empty that it will back up into the houses.
‘All the stormwater off this site goes into a network of ancient drainage ditches which farmers used to maintain. As they haven’t filtered this water which they’re pumping out, all the salt and sediment has now blocked the network.’
The site, also known as the Pebble Walk, was reported in January when it saw severe flooding after noise restrictions forced the developers to switch off their pumping system over the Christmas holiday period.
A spokesperson for Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton said: ‘Our temporary pumping system appears to be working well as there is no flooding at Pebble Walk at present.
‘Work began earlier this month to install permanent drainage systems at the development and we’re working as fast as we can to get these in place so that there is no flooding on site in the future. We hope for the permanent drainage systems to be completed in June.’