Sewage pumping station could be extended
A sewage pumping station near a South Staffordshire village has faced additional pressure because more people are working from home during the coronavirus pandemic – but a planned extension will help it cope better with demand councillors have been told.
Plans to extend Wergs Sewage Pumping Station, east of Perton, were submitted by Severn Trent Water to Staffordshire County Council at the start of 2020 – several weeks before the country went into lockdown as part of measures to stop the spread of Covid-19.
But the increase in home-working as part of social distancing measures has put more pressure on the pumping station’s infrastructure, South Staffordshire Council’s planning committee heard at its latest meeting, which was conducted via video conference.
A planning, design and access statement submitted to the county council as part of the application said: “STWL is currently upgrading the Wergs Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) to meet operational requirements. The works proposed within the existing operational site are in response to excessive rags entering the SPS and existing pumps being unsuitable.
“The solution will help to improve health and safety associated with the operation of the SPS, and will provide a means of easily maintaining the pumps
“Due to space constraints within the site, the area immediately south of the site will be used as a temporary working compound.
“It is anticipated that the SPS will need to be extended in the future and therefore STWL intend to purchase and secure this area of land. It will therefore be necessary to relocate the existing agricultural track which currently passes through this area, to facilitate continued future access into the agricultural field to the west of the SPS.
“The proposed works are situated in the open countryside, outside the development boundary for Perton, in the Birmingham Green Belt. The application site area extends to 700sqm, and within this area the proposed extension of the SPS extends to 248sqm.
“There may be temporary short-term impacts associated within the proposed works. However, once the construction works are complete, the proposed works will not emit any noise.
“The proposed works will not produce any odour.”
Staffordshire County Council will decide whether or not to grant planning permission for the extension – and relocation of an existing agricultural access track – as it is the authority that handles applications relating to waste management.
South Staffordshire Council, which makes decisions on the majority of planning applications in the district, was consulted on the plans. Planning committee members agreed to raise no objections.
Concerns were previously raised by Councillor Penny Allen and Perton Parish Council however. These included existing flooding issues in the Dippons Lane area, discharge of effluent into the nearby brook and antisocial behaviour.
