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Foul Sewage
and Utilities Assessment
All new buildings need separate connections to
foul and storm water sewers. If an application proposes to connect a
development to the existing drainage system then details of the existing system
should be shown on the application drawing(s). It should be noted that in most
circumstances surface water is not usually permitted to be connected to the
public foul sewers. The right to connect storm water to foul sewers in areas
where there are no storm drains may be withdrawn by amendment to section 106 of
the Water Industry Act 1991.
Where the development involves the disposal of
trade waste or the disposal of foul sewage effluent other than to the public
sewer, then a fuller foul drainage assessment will be required including details
of the method of storage, treatment and disposal. A foul drainage assessment
should include a full assessment of the site, its location and suitability for
storing, transporting and treating sewage.
Where connection to the mains sewer is not
practical, then the foul/non-mains drainage assessment will be required to
demonstrate why the development cannot connect to the public mains sewer system
and show that the alternative means of disposal are satisfactory. Guidance on
what should be included in a non-mains drainage assessment is given in DETR
Circular 03/99 and Building Regulations Approved Document Part H and in BS6297.
If the proposed development results in any
changes/replacement to the existing system or the creation of a new system,
scale plans of the new foul drainage arrangements will also need to be
provided. This will include a location plan, cross sections/elevations and
specification. Drainage details that will achieve Building Regulations Approval
will be required. If connection to any of the above requires crossing land that
is not in the applicant’s ownership, other than on a public highway, then
notice may need to be served on the owners of that land.
An application should indicate how the
development connects to existing utility infrastructure systems. Most new
development requires connection to existing utility services, including
electricity and gas supplies, telecommunications and water supply, and also
needs connection to foul and surface water drainage and disposal Two planning
issues arise; firstly, whether the existing services and infrastructure have sufficient capacity to accommodate the
supply/service demands which would arise from the completed development, and
secondly, whether the provision of services on site would give rise to any
environmental impacts, for example, excavations in the vicinity of trees or
archaeological remains.
The applicant should demonstrate:
(a) that, following
consultation with the service provider, the availability of utility services
has been examined and that the proposals would not result in undue stress on
the delivery of those services to the wider community;
(b) that proposals
incorporate any utility company requirements for substations, telecommunications
equipment or similar structures;
(c) that service routes
have been planned to avoid as far as possible the potential for damage to trees
and archaeological remains;
(d) where the
development impinges on existing infrastructure the provisions for relocating
or protecting that infrastructure have been agreed with the service provider.