CAMPAIGNERS won a small victory this week in the battle to prevent treated sewage from being discharged into ‘one of the most important wildlife sites in the country’.

CAMPAIGNERS won a small victory this week in the battle to prevent treated sewage from being discharged into ‘one of the most important wildlife sites in the country’.

West Berkshire Council planners have written to developers, insisting they produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The Weston Gate development was granted planning permission eight years ago with plans to connect effluent from the new development to the sewage mains.

However, the developers sought to bypass the sewage mains for a cheaper option of discharging semi-treated effluent directly into the River Lambourn, a Site of Specific Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

Controversially, the Environment Agency granted a permit for the discharge.

West Berkshire planners have said: “The development site at Tee Kay Farm at Weston is located in an area where the quality of the local watercourses is particularly sensitive and the local planning authority is very concerned about any potential impact on water quality in the immediate vicinity of outfall into the sensitive streams and rivers.

“The local planning authority considers the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of facts such as its nature, size and location. As such, the authority concludes that the proposal is EIA development, and therefore an assessment is required.” Derek Carnegie, team leader west, said: “We are so concerned with the impact on that part of the river, we’re not going to relax. This is a protected part of our environment and we may even go to a planning appeal.” Kintbury Councillor Anthony Stansfeld, who has been a driving force on the council to enforce an EIA, said: “They want it to go ahead, but we want to be absolutely, completely sure that there is no possible way of polluting one of the most famous chalk streams in our country. Hopefully, the developers will stick with their original plan of putting the waste directly into the main sewer.” Weston villager Kirsteen Roberts said: “This is very positive progress and rewards the campaigners’ perseverance to protect the river.

“The EIA gives us the chance of a proper consultation which we should have had from the outset and the support that Natural England is showing means that we can continue to press the developer to do the right thing and take the sewage to the mains.

“The only outcome we want is the river to be protected from any pollution where there is a viable alternative. Further signatures on the petition will help us do this.” A spokesman for Natural England said: “The Lambourn is one of the most important wildlife sites in the country. Natural England is providing advice to West Berkshire Council and the Environment Agency on the potential impacts of discharging partially-treated sewage effluent into the river, so that they can take account of this important and fragile environment in their decisions.” Currently the campaign has attracted 2,783 signatures.

For more information, visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-the-river-lambourn-from-treated-sewage-discharge