Local councillors are worried that Yorkshire Water's sewerage system won't be able to cope with additional homes in the Pickering area.
Speaking at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council's Thirsk and Malton Area Committee, Local Councillor Caroline Goodrick said that there are big problems with the sewerage infrastructure in the Pickering area.
Councillor Goodrick is concerned that the addition of more new houses in the area will put further pressure on the already struggling system, a point she put to local MP Kevin Hollinrake.
" Right now, we are passing applications with Grampian conditions [Preventing occupation until sewage capacity issues are resolved] because Yorkshire Water can't deliver on the waste water treatment facilities. And that's a big issue.
It's a big issue where we've passed housing in Pickering because we haven't got the capacity in Pickering, we need ministers to step up to the plate and make the water companies deliver.
And right now it's not even in their five year management plan. So we could be 10 years, 20 years away from this being delivered, and that's not going to give us the houses that we all know we need.
So I'm asking you to set that back to see what can be done about that, because at the moment, it's all happening far too slowly."
Ms Goodrick implored the Conservative chairman and Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton, to take the matter to Westminster.
She added:
" We're desperate for these houses, for our families that want to move into accommodation, but we are now at a situation where the houses can't be lived in because they can't be connected to the waste water treatment centres. And that's just perverse. It's just ridiculous that we can, that we are delivering what's being asked of us or getting to the point where we can deliver, but then we can't do it because a utility company can't meet their legal obligations.
And that's the thing. They've got statutory duties under the water act and they're not meeting it.
It's a real issue."
Councillors backed plans for 110 homes in Pickering, in September, despite concerns about the development adding to the town’s sewage problems.
Members of North Yorkshire Council’s Thirsk and Malton area planning committee voted unanimously to be minded to approve the outline application for land west of the town’s Malton Road.
At the time, Yorkshire Water had asked for a condition to be inserted requiring the developer to have a system in place for foul water drainage before homes were occupied.
Pickering MP, Kevin Hollinrake, says he will work with local councillors to ensure the issues with sewerage are looked into, adding:
"Any housing development's gotta come with the relevant infrastructure. We didn't always get this right. I'm very happy to to work with you in terms of making sure Yorkshire Water do the right thing and we can deliver those houses without any, any difficulties from them."
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