While not a Development Site itself, Yorkshire Water is integrally involved in all of the Housing developments in the Parish and its views have a large influence on the acceptance or rejection of planning applications to NYC.

In any housing development YW is usually responsible for

• The removal of site surface water (to a safe location, that must not increase the likelihood of flooding)
• The safe removal of foul water (sewage, household used water and some surface water) which should be piped to a 'local' Sewage Works
• The handling of that foul water
• as well as the supply of fresh (drinking) water.

In recent years at least, the village residents have been very dissatisfied by the performance and response from YW regarding the first 3 responsibilities as above.  There has been enormous publicity over sewage raising manholes in the heart of the village and in several other locations, waiting to be washed away into the Beck.  Some of the flooding in the village comes from too much surface water being directed (piped) into the back.  Their understanding of the mainly victorian piped network has been inadequate and the plan they used is hugely inaccurate as well as incomplete - total confusion for example between pipes handling just sewage (sewage) and those also taking some surface water (mixed), with, in reality, the latter dominating (and the main problem during heavy rain).

All of our evidence is that the system (including the Sewage Works) is now full and cannot take any more - certainly not the effects from a housing estate.  Yorkshire Water think differently!

Our Sewage Works in 2024 recorded 184 separate Outflow of Raw Sewage into the River!  Irresponsible, Disgusting.

Data has just been published showing the outflow rates from all of the outlets (generally Sewage Works) in the UK, including the 2,000 or so in Yorkshire.

• It shows there were 184 separate occasions in the year when the raw sewage was piped directly past the Sewage Works and into the river. That makes us the 11th worst in Yorkshire, worse than in previous years where we were already worst than most. 64% worse than in 2023. That's equivalent to one every other day.
• It also shows that it ran for 1623 hours.  That's equivalent to 4½ hours every day.  Unbelievable!

This level of discharge is just NOT ACCEPTABLE and clearly YW are doing nothing here to improve it - the opposite.  The data is recorded/collected by the Water Companies though the actual figures are probably higher, as there has been plenty in the media over recent years where concerned individuals have viewed and counted what's happening in some locations and their results are much higher!

more to come!