Extra homes may mean ‘rivers of sewage’ in park

11:28am Thursday 21st June 2007

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"Rivers of poo" will descend on the area around Bushy Park if an extra 40 homes are added to a nearby development, it was warned this week.

Sandy Lane Action Group (Slag) claims a heavy storm would mean sewage flooding down Sandy Lane once Linden Homes' development is occupied.

Thames Water originally reported in November 2005 that the Sandy Lane sewerage network would not be able to cope with the extra demand from the development if a severe storm, predicted to occur once every 15 years, hit the area.

But it is now proposing a pumping station in Bushy Park Road to attempt to solve the problem.

David Harden, chairman of Slag, is not convinced.

He said: "We don't know how much thought Thames Water has put into this or why they suddenly changed their minds.

"We also have serious doubts about Thames Water's ability to predict the weather.

"They talk about a one in 15 year storm but, with the more extreme weather conditions of the past few years, violent storms could happen far more frequently."

He added: "The residents of Hampton Wick and Teddington will have to pray that Thames Water is right, because if they've got it wrong the consequences will be horrible."

Thames Water said it improved the pumping and sewage system in Sandy Lane after the report in 2005, allowing the infrastructure to cope with the new development. But it did concede that further work may be needed if the plans for the extra 40 homes are approved.

A spokesman said: "We do not feel at this stage that it could cope with the extra 40 homes and would need to be consulted."

A spokesman for Linden Homes denied that it would create "rivers of poo".

He said: "While we have not approached Thames Water regarding the additional 40 plots, we will do so as part of the planning process.

"Our consultant's view is that the flows would be a very small increase over and above those Linden Homes already has approval for".