Bishop Monkton homes plan rejected for sewage overspill village

Plans to build new homes in a North Yorkshire village where raw sewage has spilled into the streets after heavy rainfall have been rejected.

Developer Kebbell Homes wanted to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton near Ripon.

Villagers said effluent had spilled out of manholes and on to the streets on multiple occasions and additional housing would exacerbate the problem.

Council officers said the application should be approved but councillors refused to support the scheme.

Steve Longstaff, representing the developer, said neither the water company nor the local flood authority had objected to the plans.

"The scheme is designed with current best practice and, as such, any reasons for refusal [because of] drainage are unsubstantiated and unreasonable," he said.

However, more than 120 residents objected to the plans and Bishop Monkton Action Group sent images to the planning authority of streets deluged with dirty water.

Yorkshire Water admitted in a letter to North Yorkshire Council that the village's sewerage system "is getting close to capacity".

But the water company blamed the overspills on blockages caused by residents putting excessive amounts of toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down the toilet or sink.

Councillor Nick Brown, who represents Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, said: "There's no question that Bishop Monkton has had sewage on the streets and that's totally abhorrent.

"I really think this is something that should not be happening in 2023. There are proper grounds for refusal in villages where sewage systems are at capacity."

He called for Yorkshire Water to improve its infrastructure before any new homes were built, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The water company did not send a representative to the planning meeting.

Councillor Robert Heseltine said he was "exceptionally disappointed" with Yorkshire Water's response and told the meeting: "It demonstrates a disturbing amount of arrogance on their part."

But a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said the company had worked with the developer on plans to separate surface water from rainfall and foul waste to limit "the amount of additional wastewater entering the network".

He said the firm could not refuse to connect properties to its network and added that the council had earmarked the land for new homes in its development plan.

"We have investigated the sewers in the area and are looking at options to add increased storage to alleviate issues during heavy rainfall, but this would need to be supported through our price review process to secure investment," he said.

Councillors voted by majority to reject the application on the grounds that it could have an adverse impact on the sewage network and involved the removal of a hedgerow, which would harm the Bishop Monkton Conservation Area.

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