Flooding concerns over plans for 10,000 new homes

Water firm bosses have been unable to say what plans they have in place to upgrade sewer systems in a town regularly hit by flooding.

Residents are worried about the impact of thousands of new homes planned near Tewkesbury, some on floodplains.

At a Gloucestershire County Council [GCC] meeting on Monday, Severn Trent staff were asked what actions were being taken to reduce instances of sewage being dumped into water courses.

Councillor Vernon Smith said residents in the Mitton area had experienced "flooding coming up through their toilets".

In a combined sewer system, waste water and storm water flow through the same pipes.

Mr Smith said: "The combined systems were phased out in 1975. You should have had a plan by now from 2007 to 2024, of how to remove all those combined systems."

A series of connected garden communities are being planned near Tewkesbury to help meet the local demand for housing.

The 'garden town' - which developers say will put green, wildlife-friendly spaces at the heart of the development - is set to be built near junction nine of the M5 at Ashchurch in Gloucestershire.

But, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, locals are concerned this could add to the flooding problem in Tewkesbury.

In 2023, Severn Trent announced it would be investing £12.9bn in its water and sewage network.

Mr Smith asked how much was being spent in the Tewkesbury area.

Andrew Fairburn, Severn Trent’s head of government relations, said he would love to replace all combined sewers, but it would cost around £300bn nationwide.

"If that was considered a good use of public money, we, of course, would do that."

Mr Fairburn said he agreed Tewkesbury "absolutely does flood a lot".

He said in Gloucestershire the company was investing £330m on upgrading the sewer network over the next five years, but added: "I don’t know the specifics for Tewkesbury."

He said the company had invested in other areas, such as the protecting the Mythe treatment works.

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