Redrow Pumping Station Update

The first residents of the new Millstone View development moved in before Christmas and are now very much settled in to the community.

After a quiet period during the lockdown, the site is now operational once again and we receive regular complaints about noise since there is significant work close to Williams Close and Kent Close at this time.

The Redrow contractors are generally honouring the agreed working hours. The best outcome is for the site to be developed quickly and for life to return to normal.

We have received queries about the delay in more residents being able to move into their new homes due to unresolved changes to the site.

This is the planning application which is yet to be determined:

“Application for variation of condition no. 2 following grant of planning permission APP/A6835/17/317469 to allow changes to site layout”

https://digital.flintshire.gov.uk/FCC_Planning/Home/Details?refno=060247

There are some significant changes to the layout which include moving a block of four affordable homes from the Chester Road side of the site, to the boundary at the highest part of the site, adjacent to St John’s Close.

The major change, referred to at the end of the Design and Access Statement is here:

“2.8 Plots 151-167
Due to site constraints of both TPO’s and failed negotiations with foul water treatment, this area of the site has been redesigned. The re-design allows all TPO’s to remain and also provides an area for a potential pumping station, which would be a resolution to the foul on site, subject to failed negotiations.”

What this means is a sizeable underground pumping station to take waste from the bottom corner of the site, back across the site.

Our understanding was that construction could not start until the waste plan had been resolved. Welsh Water informed Redrow that there was no capacity in the sewerage system in Penyffordd (beyond 19 houses). Redrow believed that they could negotiate to remove the waste from the old school on Penymynydd Road to create the capacity. Because the future of that site has not been determined, Flintshire have not agreed. The Community Council did try to negotiate

In practice this means that Redrow have constructed all the drains to the corner of Kent Close, ready to connect and they now have to pump everything back out again, hence the need for a pumping station.

This planning application does not show any detail of the visual treatment of the pumping station and no noise reports. The pumping station has the potential to impact new residents of Redrow and existing residents of Kent Close.

The delay caused by this planning application is also impacting future residents who are unable to move into their new homes.

It is absolutely the case that this situation should never have happened. If Welsh Government are going to intervene and approve developments they have to get into the detail and tie up all loose ends. There are too many losers in this situation.

The application is expected to be heard at the Flintshire County Council planning committee in August or September.