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ID sylw: 107709

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Tim Newcombe

The following comments are with regard to proposed housing sites in Pillerton Priors and the effects these will have upon Pillerton Hersey. The following is from a Pillerton Hersey perspective.

The lack of infrastructure to deal with extra housing is concerning. I am very concerned for the future of the village and especially for the inhabitants within the flood zone. Most of our village is designated as Flood Zone 3. There are 3 housing plots proposed in this plan which could affect us. They are in Pillerton Priors on the hillside above us in Pillerton Hersey. At some point houses within this flood area will be uninsurable if more development continues. Unfortunately, all planning applications in Pillerton Priors are considered separately to Pillerton Hersey. There are two parish councils. Even though we are one mile apart it never seems to be a consideration to take into account the knock-on effect of further housebuilding in Pillerton Priors on the low-lying village of Pillerton Hersey, which sits at the bottom of a very large catchment area.
3 infrastructure problems
1. Sewerage
2. Our antiquated pumping station in Pillerton Hersey
3. Water shortages in Summer
Flooding
Bearing in mind that Pillerton Hersey is at the lowest point in a very large water catchment area from beyond Butlers Marston to beyond the new housing at Pillerton Priors (Findon’s Fields) and each year is at risk of flooding from flash flooding and run off. It is predicted, due to Climate Change, that rainfall will be more frequent and heavier in years to come. In times of flash flooding water also enters the sewage system.
Sewerage
Our pumping station, built in the 1970’s, receives contents from both Hersey and Priors and struggles to cope. It is then pumped uphill to Butlers Marston. At the receiving end the Sewage Works at Butlers Marston is also overburdened. In a Severn Trent survey in 2019 there was only enough capacity to service 23 more households. This applies to all three areas – Butlers Marston, Pillerton Hersey and Pillerton Priors. As far as I know nothing has changed.
Drought
Every summer in recent years there have been water shortages and reduced pressure in both Hersey and Priors. Water has been brought in repeatedly by tankers to replenish the Ettington Reservoir.
Further housing projects within this catchment area make no sense at all and there appears to be no joined up thinking about the effects of such plans.
In my opinion further development within our water catchment area, dictated simply by the topography of the surrounding hillsides, should be halted. We need more joined up thinking in this process. Although these proposed housebuilding sites are outside of our parish they will have a direct effect upon it.
Please reconsider these proposals. They just do not make sense.
I hope that a thorough assessment can be made to investigate all of the above before accepting the current proposals within the Pillerton Priors area.