Yorkshire Water And Proposed Housing Developments In Bingley

EDM number 947 in 1997-98, proposed by Christopher Leslie on 09/03/1998.

That this House notes with concern reports that locally cherished green field sites separating the villages of Gilstead and Eldwick in Bingley, West Yorkshire, are threatened with new housing development; congratulates the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Shipley Area Planning Sub Committee for refusing the outline planning application for 400 houses at the Warren Lane site on the grounds of an inadequate sewerage and drainage network; notes that an appeal against this decision is currently being pursued by the land owners; notes that Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. have consistently failed to supply to the local planning authority a demonstration in the form of a drainage area plan showing that the Warren Lane development could proceed without causing pollution; notes that under section 200 of the Water Industry Act 1991 sewerage companies are obliged to provide local authorities with copies of drainage area plans but that Yorkshire Water has failed to comply; notes that the Environment Agency have said that the Warren Lane development should only proceed if such a demonstration is forthcoming; notes that Yorkshire Water own land adjacent to the Warren Lane site at Clarendon Road and are seeking to sell off this asset for housing development and significant profit; notes that the quality of the sewerage network downstream of the Warren Lane site is also likely to constrain planning permission for new houses at Clarendon Road should it be proven by a drainage area plan that the network is substandard and causes pollution; notes with alarm this direct financial conflict of interests between Yorkshire Water's duties as a statutory sewerage undertaker and its wish to profit through its asset disposal strategy; and further notes with concern the way in which Yorkshire Water's financial motivation may have apparently influenced their opinion that the sewerage network in Bingley is satisfactory.

This motion has been signed by a total of 3 MPs.