Call for water company to step in over homes plan

The developers say the proposal aims to ease the housing crisis in Waverley borough

A Surrey MP has written to the chief executive of a water company to request "urgent assistance" against plans for more than 400 homes.

Jeremy Hunt, MP for Godalming and Ash, said in the letter that Thames Water was "well aware" that the local sewage network around Alfold is "already exceeding capacity on the existing population demand".

Mr Hunt requested written confirmation of the current position to planning authorities and developers that the village "can take no more capacity".

Thames Water said they "continue to engage with Jeremy Hunt and keep him informed of any updates".

In January the MP called on Thames Water to "take urgent and permanent action" after Alford flooded with raw sewage.

The new proposals for a development near Dunsfold Road and Loxwood Road in Alfold were submitted by developers Merchant Seaman's War Memorial Society and Thakeham Homes Limited.

They said the project would ease the housing shortage in Waverley.

Residents who objected said the scheme would overburden infrastructure, roads and sewers, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The developers issued a joint statement which said they were "committed to delivering an outstanding development that accords with the unique local character of Alfold and its surroundings".

Thames Water said: "In Alfold we have made plans to re-line our pipes located behind Clappers Orchard, to prevent groundwater from infiltrating the sewers.

"We will also inspect the amount of surface water coming from a private pumping station in the village, and continue to investigate the wider network to understand the mechanisms of flooding in this area."

The decision will be determined by Waverley Borough Council's planning committee by 27 May.

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