Residents living in an ancient countryside village say Angela Rayner‘s house-building blitz will leave them ‘drowning in sewage’ after a 40-home development was approved.
Locals in Goodworth Clatford say their chocolate box village, which dates back to the Saxon times, faces being ‘destroyed’ by waste ‘discharge horror’ after developers were given the green light despite warnings it will overwhelm the sewage system.
The village in the Hampshire countryside is already plagued with drainage and flooding issues and has had to take steps to prevent locals from having to wade through smelly sewage.
But villagers say their problems will be ‘exacerbated’ now that developers Bargate Homes Ltd have had their plans approved, with fears Southern Water won’t be able to add sufficient infrastructure.
The developers submitted controversial plans to build 40 homes, some of which will be affordable housing, next to the local park.
The application was met with fierce criticism by the village – where house prices average £750,000 – and more than 130 objections were lodged.
Many fear their homes at the bottom of the hill in Goodworth Clatford will end up blighted by ‘sewage discharge horrors’.
Planning chiefs from Conservative-led Test Valley Borough Council approved the proposal at a meeting last week.
This is the proposed area for a 40-home development which locals have objected to
Pictured is the Southern Water treatment works near Goodworth Clatford, which villagers have warned is not coping with the existing levels of sewage
Under Bargate’s plans, 40 homes will be built on a seven-acre field that is next to the recreational park. Pictured: A proposed view of what the development could look like
Residents believe they should have stood up against the Labour government’s plan to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
Goodworth Clatford, near Andover, dates back to the Saxon times and in 1086 was recorded in the Domesday Book.
At the heart of the sought-after area, which has its own vineyard, is a chalk stream which is an offshoot of the River Test, famous across the globe for its salmon fishing.
Under Bargate’s plans, 40 homes will be built on a seven-acre field that is next to the recreational park.
Bargate claims it will have a ‘sustainable drainage system’.
Due to the landscape, excess groundwater, and poor infrastructure, flooding is an issue in the village and tankers have to make constant trips to pump out water.
‘The village has endured tankers at four or five locations, on a 24 hour basis for the last six months’, one villager claimed.
A wastewater treatment works site neighbours the village, but neighbours say it is not equipped enough to deal with their current issues let alone problems exacerbated by a new development.
Cllr Philip Lashbrook, of Test Valley Borough Council, told the planning meeting: ‘There is a huge reliance on Southern Water… I don’t have confidence that the infrastructure will be improved enough to support 40 new homes.’
Villager David Stagg attended the planning meeting with scores of other villagers.
Residents believe they should have stood up against the Labour government’s plan to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. Pictured: Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer at a construction site in Cambridgeshire in December
Lorraine and Paddy Quaid (pictured) are among those who have objected to the development
Michael Goddard (pictured) said: ‘If the proposed development on Barrow Hill goes ahead with their sewage going into the existing sewage network I dread to think what sewage discharge horrors await us folks at the bottom of the hill!’
Villager Katie Cairns (pictured) said of the decision: ‘It’s a shame, it’s a real shame for the village.’
He said the decision is a ‘tragedy and a travesty’ and there was ‘a lot of people leaving in a state of shock’.
Mr Stagg, a retired management consultant, said: ‘Goodworth Clatford was thrown under a bus by Test Valley planners and a majority of Councillors.
‘Fact, common sense, courage, honesty and reason ceased to exist, and… greed, politics and skullduggery allowed outline planning permission for 40 houses to be built in countryside outside the village settlement boundary.’
Mr Stagg said at the meeting objections were not acknowledged and planning bosses did not appreciate ‘how misguided the scheme would be in real life’.
‘A recurring comment from the planners was that as there was no land matching the Government criteria of grey, brown or green belt sites in the area, ‘we have to meet our target by building here’.
‘Well, has anyone been courageously assertive enough to tell them that such arbitrary targets are meaningless and have far reaching consequences in such cases?
He said the drainage issues were ‘glossed over’, adding: ‘Certainly, these issues of detail will not disappear and there are far too many loose ends of game-changing proportions that need clarifying before any rational decisions can be considered.
‘Now who will be held accountable for destroying our village?’
In his objection letter, Mr Stagg wrote: ‘This application ignores the full impact and future implications of the recent serious flooding issues in the village main street.
‘Additional water run off from this field’s position above the village will only exacerbate the problem and cause serious harm to residents there.’
Villager Katie Cairns, who also attended the meeting, said of the decision: ‘It’s a shame, it’s a real shame for the village.
‘The sewage is a real worry.’
In her objection letter, Ms Cairns said: ‘The current provision [for sewage] is already inadequate.
Goodworth Clatford, near Andover, dates back to the Saxon times and in 1086 was recorded in the Domesday Book. Pictured is where the development is proposed
‘The existing pumping stations are noisy and smelly. We’ve also had tankers working in the village day and night for months this year, taking sewage to plants in Southampton and Newbury as the site [by Goodworth Clatford] is operating at full capacity.
‘The roads are not set up for vehicles of this size and weight and a lot of damage has been done.’
Ms Cairns also believes ‘the sheer size and nature of this development is totally out of character with the village’.
Villager Michael Goddard outlined in his objection letter some of the sewage issues.
He said: ‘My property, along with those of my immediate neighbours, suffered badly earlier this year (and previous years) from the discharging of sewage water from drains and manholes in our gardens.
‘This was due to high groundwater levels infiltrating an ageing, leaky, sewerage network.
‘The nearby sewage pumping station was unable to cope so tankers were deployed almost full time to try and minimise flooding.’
Mr Goddard added: ‘If the proposed development on Barrow Hill goes ahead with their sewage going into the existing sewage network I dread to think what sewage discharge horrors await us folks at the bottom of the hill!’
Lorraine Quaid said in her objection letter: ‘Over several months the village has been forced to endure up to four waste tankers at anyone time to relieve the drainage/sewer system 24/7.
Local resident Chris Coates said he is concerned about ‘prevailing winds carrying any unpleasant odours right across the centre of the village’. Pictured: The nearby Southern Water works
‘Any addition due to development will be detrimental in the extreme!
‘Pollution to our chalk stream river should be avoided at all cost. The risk is already high!’
Katie Shorter wrote: ‘A number of properties along Village Street have had gardens underwater for months due to excessively high groundwater, made worse by run-off and the sewage systems inability to cope with the infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding area.
‘Any additional burden placed on the foul water infrastructure in Goodworth Clatford threatens to completely overwhelm the system and lead to local flooding.
‘The village has endured tankers at 4 or 5 locations, on a 24 hour basis for the last 6 months, pumping out water to try and prevent the local sewage works throughout the Village being overwhelmed.
‘An additional 40 houses, will compound, and potentially overwhelm the sewerage system of the Village.
‘Due to the topography of the site, the only way to get the sewage off site would be to pump it to the mains sewer.
‘The proposed pumping station is adjacent to existing residential properties, which is unacceptable given the noise, and maintenance such infrastructure generates.
‘Were the pumping station to fail, the flooding risk to properties in the vicinity would also be unacceptable.’
Local resident Chris Coates said he is concerned about ‘prevailing winds carrying any unpleasant odours right across the centre of the village’.
Dr Christopher Parkinson-Brown, a dentist, said the additional sewage will be ‘far beyond the capacity of the drains and sewers in the village’.
Goodworth Clatford Parish Council also opposes the plans.
In its objection letter, the parish council pointed out that Southern Water said in its report there is ‘potential for existing villagers to suffer an adverse impact to their health given the potential for foul water flooding’.
Test Valley Borough Council said permission was approved with conditions including ‘providing an acceptable nitrate mitigation scheme, a Habitat Regulations assessment, and a legal agreement to secure affordable housing provision, open space improvements and health facility and education improvements’.
Mark White, managing Director of Bargate Homes, said: ‘We are delighted to receive outline planning approval for this site in Goodworth Clatford, a location steeped in character and surrounded by beautiful Hampshire countryside.
‘This development will not only help to address the pressing need for affordable housing but also create a sustainable community with access to local amenities, open green spaces, and strong transport links.
‘Our vision is to deliver beautifully crafted homes that benefit both the residents and the environment, contributing to the local area for years to come.’
