River Lambourn campaigners plan victory party

Celebrations over effluent victory

WESTON villagers are preparing to toast their victory in opposing plans to pump treated sewage into the River Lambourn.

Developers had proposed dumping semi-treated effluent into the pristine chalk stream.

The issue was first highlighted by this newspaper in May as horrified villagers began to mobilise.

But there was dismay and incomprehension as the Environment Agency (EA) approved a permit for the plan.

Within weeks, however, the campaign had gone national, with a petition attracting nearly 3,000 signatures.

The row concerned a new housing development at Teekay Farm in Weston, which was granted planning permission eight years ago.

The developer subsequently sought to bypass sewage mains and to use a cheaper option of discharging semi-treated effluent directly into the river, a globally rare chalk stream, which is doubly protected, both as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and as a Special Area of Conservation.

Council planners consulted the EA, which controversially granted a permit for the discharge – a decision which “beggared belief” according to the national Angling Trust.

Then, when the managing director of developer Cleanslate, Mark Fitzpatrick, announced a u-turn and a return to the original proposals, there was cautious optimism.

More good news followed when the EA, faced with the prospect of a court case brought by campaigners demanding a judicial review, climbed down.

EA spokesman Dan Taylor said last month: “We accept that we did not have the most relevant data for that specific point in the river when we issued the permit and we will now revoke the permit if the operator does not apply to surrender it.”

Now the issue has finally been resolved.

Days ago, West Berkshire planners officially approved proposals to revert to the original scheme of disposing of sewage via the mains.

One of the campaign organisers, Weston villager Kirsteen Roberts, said: “It is not often that the little people win. Following the success of our campaign we have decided to celebrate.”

Describing the planning victory as a “milestone,” she added “we are getting together as a village” at an al fresco party at lunchtime this Sunday at Shamrock Farm.