WODC Local Plan 2043 - Final Public Consultation

Fri 28 Aug, 19:31

Looking at the water study report, the proposed housing numbers for Charlbury are 40 at Jeffersons Piece and 40 on land south of Hydac with 4 extant development permissions. That’s 84 houses. This is different from the Policy CH2 stated 30 dwellings at Jeffersons Piece, which is correct? The Charlbury Sewage Treatment Works (STW) was calculated to have headroom both in terms of the increase in flow from 84 houses and it not exceeding its water quality limits. Although an upgrade for Charlbury STW is due to be completed by 2028 to reduce the need for untreated discharges in wet weather. I’m not sure that these studies take account of the seasonal occupation of camping and caravan sites which must be quite a big increase in population size or whether they have their own treatment requirements. I also don’t see any mention of the proposed development at Rushy Bank, which wouldn’t be included in the flow data on account of it not being there.

I wondered if the calculated headroom was one reason for siting 84 houses in Charlbury. Another, of course, being its access to the railway but the identified sites aren’t close enough to the station to avoid causing more traffic to the station to drop off and pick up. Anyway, it makes arguing against development on the grounds of discharges to the Evenlode not a runner, I’m afraid. If we have low standards it is very hard to complain.

Yesterday, after the first rain in months, Thames Water discharged untreated sewage at Moreton-in-the-Marsh and Kingham. We all need to be aware that STWs have Environmental Permits which consent for maximum concentrations of pollutants – suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia, orthophosphate and total phosphorous. Critically, there is no requirement to test for E-Coli populations and even if there was, the permitted level for “good” bathing water is 900 coliform units per 100ml water. The cost of development is too high for me to play Russian Roulette with my health.