Waste water may be discharged into Llangollen canal

Oct 1 2008 by David Rutland, Denbigh Visitor

TOWNSFOLK fear that Llangollen canal’s historic status as a world heritage site could be under threat if a controversial drainage plant is approved.

Councillors will decide today if the drainage water plant will be allowed to go ahead at the Bryn Derwen apartments on Abbey Road.

Planning permission for the development was originally granted in 2006 and specified that waste water from the flats would go into the town’s main sewer system.

Although building work is now complete, a connection was never made and the developer now wants to discharge directly into the Llangollen canal.

Letters objecting to the plan have been received from Llangollen Town Council, Llangollen Civic Society and from six individual residents.

Concerns include the quality of the discharge, smells, the impact on a site of special scientific interest, the threat to recognition of the canal as a world heritage site as well as the potential impact on water quality, wildlife, habitat and fish stocks in the canal and river.

One objector said: “No doubt there are safeguards attached to this septic thing, but they must have given priority to the economics of digging up 600 metres of road to connect it to the main drain.

“No doubt the application is based on economics rather than expediency. We’re concerned about the impact on the water in the canal and we’re concerned that if something goes wrong it could end up polluting the canal.”

Jon Haddy, chairman of Llangollen’s planning committee, said the town council is opposed this amendment because the original planning consent, which it supported, had a connection to the main sewer.

“It would have affected our decision if we’d known about this at the time,” he said.

The developer, Belgrave Homes, says that discharging into the canal is necessary as connecting with the main system would involve 12 weeks of roadworks, installing pumps and “considerable expense to the developer and future residents of maintaining two lengthy pumped sewers”.

Denbighshire County Council officers have recommended that the application be granted.

david.rutland