Our sewerage system cannot cope. Thames Water discharged sewage into the Thames 16,990 times in 2023. Many members of the Save Bertie Park campaign worry that building houses on Bertie Park could only make things worse.
Two organisations could act to stop Thames Water from discharging sewage. One is the Environment Agency. This article from 2012 shows how the agency used to function. The environment agency was then de-fanged by the Conservatives. They cut its funding and said it should not stand in the way of growth. This article from 2024 shows how much things have changed.
The other organisation that could help is Oxford City Council. When granting planning permission for 134 homes near St Frideswide Farm, Oxford City Council added a planning condition that the new homes should not be occupied until there was capacity to deal with the extra sewage. A scheme for upgrading the Sandford sewage works is due for completion in 2027. Even though it is still being designed, in April of this year OCC said that the new homes at St Frideswide could be occupied. See here for further details.
Does this mean that “planning conditions” are not worth the paper they are written on?
Can we both grow Oxford AND solve our housing crisis?
Do we have to live with shit in our rivers, gardens and homes?
Save Bertie Park Oxford 