Area is going down the drain!

Drainage engineer Chris Wotherspoon, who carried out the probe into high and low level sewers in the Keighley area, believes that Silsden cannot cope with more development.

In his 25,000 word report, commissioned by Bradford council, he says sections of the system in Silsden cannot accommodate all the proposed developments without improvement works.

City Hall's unitary development plan has identified sites for about 1,500 new houses in the area.

Mr Wotherspoon fears that more building could result in an increase in the concentration of foul sewage being discharged from combined sewage overflows, some of which are near the river Aire.

He says: "If all developments in the UDP went ahead, this would put further strain on the sewage system. Some lengths of the trunk sewer would flood every five years, whereas presently they only surcharge."

He was particularly critical of the state of the King George Playing Field at Marley, where a combined sewage overflow (CSO) - designed to overspill in a heavy surcharge - had badly polluted the area. It overflows on to a marsh area about 150 yards from the river Aire.

"As a consequence, the area between the CSO and the river is badly polluted and the discharge is not diluted until it finds its way into the river," he says.

"The polluted area is just beyond the playing fields, and on the day of the visit children were walking a dog in the immediate vicinity."

But his report, which Bradford council wants residents to comment upon, claims there are no significant problems in the high level sewer, which serves the Worth valley.

He reports: "The drainage area study for the high level system indicates that it can generally accommodate existing flows."

But he pinpoints areas in Bell Isle Road, Haworth, and Gladstone Street, Keighley, and in the Oakworth Road vicinity where there are deficiencies.

Labour Councillor John Cope, chairman of the Keighley planning panel, says he is pleased that the report has highlighted the problems of general flooding, particularly at the King George Playing Fields.

"There is a clear conflict about what is acceptable in the water industry and in planning law and the higher standards demanded by activists - for which I have sympathy," he says.

Area flooding seemed to be ignored by the water industry, but some areas were frightening health hazards, he added.

Janet Mitchell, of Silsden Town Action group, says: "Silsden's sewage system needs investment before any building goes ahead. We have been right all along in our opinions that the system just cannot cope with anymore development.

"Large scale development is out of the question, and neither should there be any piecemeal building on smaller plots."

Penny Ward, of Aire Valley Conservation Society, says she is pleased with the report because it vindicates the stand of all the campaigners who have been objecting to development over the past ten years.

She called on Bradford council and Ofwat, the water industry regulator, to take action, not only where homes were in danger of flooding, but where areas of land were also flooded by pollution, like the Marley area.

"We have been protesting about that overflow for ten years," she says. "It is a large area which is grossly polluted and action should be taken to stop it. We are all aware of the risks of E-coli and other bacteria, which are even life threatening."

Worth Valley Tory Councillor Kris Hopkins is critical of the report's ambiguity, claiming it could be used either as a defence of the present system or by campaigners.

"It's full of contradictions. There are parts which can be used by people protesting against housing applications and by people proposing developments. He produces no definitive answer," he says. "I believe there's a lot of waffle to appease Bradford council, which has an agenda to build houses in the Worth Valley. I hope it gives more protection to Silsden, but it doesn't safeguard the Worth Valley, where I fear it means we will get more housing."

Cllr Phil Thornton, deputy executive member for transportation and planning, said officers were now studying the report.

"I know residents have been unhappy with the way Yorkshire Water has dealt with the problems and I share their concerns," he says. "The report confirms the council's view that there are problems with the drainage system, but there are no easy answers to resolve them."

He says the report's conclusion is that the system could generally cope, but there are a number of problems which have resulted in homes flooding.

There were areas of flooding where fields and gardens were affected. Yorkshire Water had set targets to reduce flooding in homes but not for area flooding, he said.

"At Silsden, Yorkshire Water has accepted that improvements to sewers would need to be considered if further development takes place.

"Elsewhere, in the low level system and in the high level system, there is no reason to prevent further development, provided only sewage enters the system," he adds.

Anyone wishing to comment should write to Cllr Thornton at Jacob's Well, Bradford, by March 17. The council will consider the report and comment at the Keighley area planning panel on April 13, at Keighley Town Hall.

The report is available at council planning offices in Keighley and Bradford and there are reference copies at Keighley and Silsden libraries.

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