Anglian Water set to object to new housing plans

John Ingram said the water company's stance made some sites "undevelopable"

Anglian Water says it will not back housebuilding in towns and villages across Norfolk where its sewers are at capacity.

Its pledge affects west Norfolk projects in Heacham, Docking and Snettisham, as well as in Horsford, near Norwich.

One councillor has warned that the water company's position would mean fewer developments in those areas, with applications "likely" to be turned down.

Anglian Water said: "In locations where additional homes would exceed existing capacity and be a risk to the environment, we may object or request that the local authority put a condition on the planning application to give us time to complete upgrades."

The Anglian Water facility at Heacham has limited capacity to serve new homes

Anglian Water said its facilities in Heacham and Brancaster could not cope with new housing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said it would oppose developments until its networks could be upgraded in 2035 and 2030 respectively.

It is believed there is a similar situation in Horsford, where the system is due for an upgrade in 2027.

Tom De Winton, a Conservative member for Brancaster on the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, said Anglian Water's stance would have serious consequences if it led to fewer developments going ahead.

"There will be people out of work. It is vital for our economy," he said.

"Anglian Water is threatening to stifle our progress."

The council's local plan suggests up to 10,500 new homes could be built in the borough by 2040.

Housebuilder John Ingram, who said he would be put off a site if Anglian Water said it would oppose development, pointed out that developers paid fees to the water company every time a new property was connected to the network.

"Surely that infrastructure charge should have been invested into infrastructure to cope with the new development, otherwise why are we paying it?" he said.

Anglian Water has a legal obligation to connect sites with planning consent to its network and it is not a "statutory consultee", which means local authorities can approve a development even if the company opposes it.