PLAN FOR FORENESS POINT & LONGNOSE SPIT SEWAGE WORKS

NO! IT'S NOT ALL OVER

Look at The Planning Procedures

FIRSTLY, under an oppressive planning system dating back to 1947 (incidentally now at a Green Paper reform stage) and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Southern Water made a PLANNING APPLICATION to roc in order to extend the works. Then the plan, with an ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT on best practical environmental option (BPEO), proceeded up to KCC for its decision. This plan should have provided the best available technology not entailing excessive cost (BATNEEC). BUT IT DID NOT. Nonetheless both TDC and KCC passed the plan.

SECONDLY, Southern Water made an application for a DISCHARGE LICENSE to the Environment Agency in order to discharge sewage at the Spit. In a response, supported by Roger Gale MP (debated in House of Commons), Foreness Environmental Action produced its own counter ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT which was presented to the Secretary of State DETR (DEFRA) with its appeal to call-in the discharge license application. As a result, DEFRA have written to the Environment Agency telling them not to make a decision until they hear from them. No decision on the appeal has yet been taken by DEFRA/Environment Agency.

THIRDLY, TDC have a policy not to sell any land at Foreness Point for extension of the works. But Southern Water can apply for a COMPULSARY PURCHASE ORDER. Of course, a TDC policy can always change. Though the foreshore in the region is privately owned the Environment Agency can still grant the discharge license, though Southern Water must obtain the owner's permission. Apparently, KCC/TDC may not have a lease on the foreshore which complicates their decision taking on Southern Water's plan.

Foreness Environmental Action find 38 key issues, excluding over 40 article breaches on Health, Environment and Leisure activity in Parliamentary Planning Guidelines (PPGs) and including TDC's Local Plan, in its deliberations with authorities on plans to extend the works. The works are in the wrong place, now there arises an opportunity for a much larger state of the art facility (in compliance with BATNEEC/BPEO) to be built elsewhere.