THAMES Water has clarified that it did not approve of developers' plans to build 110 homes in North Witney, on a site deemed to be unsuitable due to sewage concerns.
The objections were made on the grounds that there were not sufficient plans in place to deal with sewage for the proposed housing development.
Councillors and action groups claimed Thames Water was approving of the developers' application and 'lied' about the suitability of the plot to developers, but the company has since released a statement refuting these claims.
A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Water and sewerage companies do not have powers to refuse or approve planning applications.
“We work closely with planning authorities and where necessary can request that conditions are applied to approvals, for example that new homes are not lived in until the appropriate water and waste infrastructure is in place.
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“It is, however, the responsibility of the planning authority to determine the appropriateness of that request and enforce any such conditions.
“We’re obliged to ensure our network has capacity to accommodate new developments, so in certain situations we will, where necessary, request a condition, as we have in the case of the Hailey Road application.
“Typically the condition will require that developers contact us directly so we can discuss their plans in detail, assess any potential impact on our network and work together to deliver upgrades in line with the development’s needs.
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“We’ve carried out thorough investigations in the Standlake, Carterton and Witney areas to better understand the impact excess surface water has on our sewer network during periods of heavy rain.
“This has enabled us to put together strategies which are now being assessed as part of our 2020-2025 planning process.
“During our investigations we ran a find and fix programme which saw any defaults on our pipes repaired.”
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