by Rebecca Gilbert

FEARS have been raised over the ability of a sewage system to cope with the building of 100 new homes near York.

Phase four of a housing estate in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, has received planning consent from the town council but the town's civic society has expressed worries about sewage.

David Gray, chairman of the Pocklington Civic Society, said: "There's outline planning permission for construction of 101 houses on The Balk, however, we have as a society expressed concerns about the ability of the current sewage system and related utilities to cope with the increased effluent generated by the further housing in this part of the town.

"This is not a new concern.

"We expressed similar concern when phase three was built."

A spokesman for David Wilson Homes Ltd, said: "When the outline planning application was made for phase four at Pocklington the council will have consulted both Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency about the development's infrastructure.

"Had there been any concerns about the capacity of the sewage system this would have been identified at this stage."

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water reiterated these comments and said: "These issues were deal with at the planning stage and we have no concerns."

The development is part of a long-standing housing commitment by East Riding of Yorkshire Council as part of the borough-wide local plan.

Outline planning permission was received before the first phase was built and now the application will go before East Riding of Yorkshire Council for detailed planning permission.

The plans were approved by Pocklington Town Council at a meeting last week.

Rowan Blake-James, town mayor, said: "My own feeling is that they've made a very reasonable job of the development so far.

"On paper it looks overwhelming but on the whole I think it's bringing a definite boost to Pocklington."

The only worry was for the state of The Balk which connects the development to the A1079 York to Hull road.

Chairwoman of the committee, Norma Jennings, said: "I'd like us to point out to East Riding of Yorkshire Council that this is another 101 houses emptying out onto the A1079 and the amount of traffic going down there is horrendous.

"The Balk is the obvious way out of Pocklington and it's going to need sorting out very, very soon."