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12
Oct
Yorkshire Water sewer capacity threatens new homes and funding, says councillor
A lack of capacity in Yorkshire Water’s sewerage network could prevent new homes being occupied in parts of North Yorkshire and delay millions of pounds in funding for local services, councillors have warned.
The North Yorkshire Liberal Democrats say pressure on wastewater infrastructure is threatening housing developments, with some schemes potentially unable to proceed unless improvements are made.
The concerns follow a briefing to North Yorkshire Council’s Thirsk and Malton Area Constituency Committee, which highlighted capacity problems affecting public sewers and wastewater treatment works.
Yorkshire Water has advised the council that parts of its network cannot accommodate additional wastewater without increasing the risk of flooding and environmental pollution.
As a result, the council is using planning conditions which allow developers to build homes but prevent them from being occupied until sufficient sewerage capacity is confirmed.
Yorkshire Water.
Councillors fear this could leave completed properties standing empty while also delaying financial contributions from developers towards schools, healthcare, roads and other community facilities.
These payments, secured through Section 106 planning agreements, are often triggered when new homes are occupied.
There are also concerns that some developments could be refused planning permission altogether if there is no realistic prospect of the necessary wastewater infrastructure being provided.
The council cannot force Yorkshire Water to undertake improvements or complete them within a particular timescale.
‘Very concerning’
Cllr Steve Mason, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group on North Yorkshire Council, said the situation threatened both housing delivery and investment in communities.
He said:
This situation is very concerning. Protecting our rivers from pollution is a priority, but so is providing housing for families, jobs, and vital infrastructure.
Without the ability to charge developers for much-needed infrastructure contributions, we cannot build GP surgeries, roads, or improve schools.
This is a get-out clause that lets water companies use the planning system to avoid much-needed capital investment in sewage capacity.
We risk losing control of our housing stock, and ultimately, taxpayers will have to bail out the water companies to build the infrastructure needed to move housing construction forward.
Cllr Mason added:
Yorkshire Water must dig a bit deeper; otherwise, I fear the drain of young people will deepen as less and less housing stock is delivered. Their lack of investment is coming home to roost.
However, Yorkshire Water said it was working closely with the council and developers to ensure new housing could be accommodated while protecting the environment and existing customers.
A spokesperson said:
We are working closely with North Yorkshire Council, developers and other partners to support housing and economic growth across the county.
As part of the planning process, we assess where new development can be accommodated within existing wastewater infrastructure and where further investment may be required.
Identifying capacity constraints early helps ensure growth can take place in a way that protects the environment, reduces the risk of flooding and maintains services for existing customers.
The company said investment in its network was continuing and stressed that wastewater infrastructure needed to be planned alongside housing growth.
The spokesperson added:
We support North Yorkshire’s ambitions for new homes and growth, and water and wastewater infrastructure needs to be planned alongside that growth.
We continue to invest in our network and work with councils, developers, and regulators to identify and deliver the upgrades needed to support future development across the region.
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