Hinckley: Sewage bubbling up in gardens, councillors say

Sewage and toilet paper were pushed up through manholes in a garden in Lochmore Drive, Hinckley, in October

Sewage has been bubbling up in back gardens in a Leicestershire borough, councillors have said.

The problem was mentioned during a discussion at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council about the pressure on critical infrastructure caused by new housing developments.

Councillors said sewage had come to the surface in Hinckley's Clarendon ward and Grace Road in Desford.

Severn Trent Water said it "would be more than happy" to look into concerns.

During the discussion, several councillors mentioned issues currently affecting residents, with councillor Mark Bools saying that in Grace Road in Desford, "we have raw sewage running down the street", while councillor Ann Pendlebury said sewage was also "coming up" in houses in Hinckley's Clarendon Ward.

At the end of the discussion, councillors voted in favour of a motion to ask water, electricity and gas suppliers to appear before the council and explain what measures they were taking to ensure infrastructure can cope with future development in the area.

Gilbert Jones said bits of toilet paper rose from the sewers into the garden of his home

Councillor David Cope, who put forward the motion, said: "We know there are people who've got raw sewage coming up in their gardens. This should never happen in 2024.

"So I would like the opportunity to talk to some of the representatives of these organisations. We're building all these properties, we're building all the huge sheds down the A5.

"The fact of the matter is that we keep on building. And do we know that there is the right supplies? Do they have a plan?

"We keep paying our bills and keep paying the water authorities and what do we get? Raw sewage. It's not good enough."

Legally 'no say'

Gilbert Jones, who lives in Lochmore Drive in Hinckley, said sewage often backed up into his garden when there was heavy rain.

"Severn Trent are sympathetic but they are not solving the problem," he said.

"They send teams to clear up but you get bits of toilet paper left."

Alex Cooney, waste team manager for Leicestershire at Severn Trent, said: "While water companies can request changes to planning applications, legally we have no say if any new development can go ahead or not.

"What we do is look into what impact any new developments may have, and if there are any concerns, and we will discuss this with the developer, while considering if any network upgrades are needed."