THAMES Water is requesting that the Cirencester sewerage network is upgraded if plans to build thousands of homes in Cirencester are passed.

The 2,350 homes planned for the Chesterton area of Cirencester have been earmarked in the Cotswold District Council draft Local Plan document, which sets development in the area until 2031.

But Thames Water believes that the Cirencester sewerage network will struggle to cope with the new homes and have asked Cotswold District Council to add a condition on the plans, which have yet to be submitted, asking that the network is upgraded before people move into the homes.

Thames water’s Mark Mathews said: “We cannot allow residents in other areas to be put at risk of sewer flooding so it’s important the sewers are of a standard that can deal with the increase in waste water which will inevitably come from new development.

“The impact on our Cirencester sewage works has also been assessed and we’re confident there is sufficient capacity for it to process the additional waste, however as more developments for the area are proposed we will need to continue to monitor this.”

Conservative parliamentary candidate for the Cotswolds, Geoffrey Clifton Brown said: “I welcome Thames Water's confirmation that the sewer will need to be
upgraded before the Chesterton Development is complete. I have been pressing Thames Water, both in my public flood meetings and on other occasions, to be clear about what needed to be done to ensure the sewer system could cope with this proposed development.
 “It is crucial that no new development, anywhere in the Cotswolds, creates a worse water or sewerage flooding situation for current residents and I will
be watching closely to ensure that Thames Waters' request is met.”