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This chapter deals with the other types of physical infrastructure that are required to serve existing and proposed developments within the borough, and which are generally provided by the utility companies. They include water supplies and waste water, energy supplies, and telecommunications.
Most of these infrastructure types will not require additional land in Walsall.
Features such as power stations, sewage works and certain types of renewable energy infrastructure require sites but these may not have to be located in the borough. Distribution networks to connect to the utilities infrastructure will however need to be located within Walsall. The availability of, and the cost of providing all types utilities infrastructure where they are not already available can have a major impact on the viability and deliverability of developments.
Jargon Buster
•
Potable Water – clean water for drinking.
•
Waste Water – water that has been contaminated through domestic, industrial and other uses and requires treatment before it can be released into the water course.
11.1 Current Situation
There is no current shortage of water supply in Walsall and the Borough is well served by three sewage treatment plants that are situated within the borough.
However, there is conflicting evidence about the future supply of potable water, raising concerns about long-term supply at a national and regional level. We also have a lack of evidence about the future capacity of the existing treatment plants and the quality of water discharge. This uncertainty could undermine the ability to allocate sites in the most suitable and most sustainable locations in the borough and further detailed work is therefore needed in these areas.
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The domestic sector in Walsall contributes most to carbon emissions, closely followed by the industrial and commercial sector largely due to the concentration of industry in certain areas of the Borough, particularly in the west near to major transport routes. The Council has a role to play in reducing its own carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency, but also promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation across the Borough. Opportunities for certain types of renewable energy generation, such as wind power, are limited because of the heavily built up nature of much of the Borough. However this also presents the potential for increased microgeneration.
11.2 Key Issues
1. Lack of evidence about the quality of discharges into the water course;
2. Uncertainty about the future of Willenhall
Sewage Works;
3. Some sites in Darlaston for particular industrial development may need new
Energy, transport, water, waste water and waste management. connections to gas and electricity;
4. The potential for renewable and low carbon energy development is low: and
5. Conflicting evidence about future supply of potable water.
Utilities Infrastructure Questions
UI:Q1 Have we identified all key issues for utilities infrastructure? If not, please tell us any other key issues that we need to consider.
11.3 Policies
Part 3 of the Planning Act (2008) sets out the types of infrastructure deemed to be nationally significant infrastructure projects. The Localism Act (2011) transferred the power to determine nationally significant infrastructure projects from the
Infrastructure Planning Unit to the Planning Inspectorate from 1 st
April 2012.
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Nationally significant infrastructure can be broadly seen as energy, transport, water, waste water and waste management.
The National Planning Policy Framework states that local planning authorities should work with other authorities and providers to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure, and its ability to meet forecast demand (including water supply, waste water treatment, energy, utilities and telecommunications). Policy DEL1
(Infrastructure Provision) of the BCCS also states that all new development should be supported by the necessary on and off-site infrastructure to serve the development, mitigate its impacts on the environment, and ensure that the development is sustainable and contributes to the proper planning of the wider area.
Utilities infrastructure plays a major role in supporting new development and the SAD will need to assess the quality and capacity of existing utilities infrastructure to make sure it is considered when allocating new sites for development.
Policy ENV7 (Renewable Energy) of the BCCS states that renewable energy infrastructure proposals should not significantly harm the natural, historic or built environment or result in an adverse effect on the amenity of those living or working nearby. Policy ENV7 also requires the consideration of combined heat and power facilities for larger development schemes which might require additional land to deliver this. These factors would need to be considered in the SAD should we choose to allocate any sites in the borough for the purposes of renewable energy infrastructure.
11.4 Evidence
The ‘Black Country Joint Core Strategy; Infrastructure and Deliverability Study’ published in 2009 in conjunction with the BCCS, concluded that the borough is well served by infrastructure because of its industrial heritage and that only small, local enhancements are likely to be required for specific development sites. Local enhancements to utilities infrastructure will therefore need to be considered as part of the SAD to establish whether the position has changed since 2009, and to identify
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Site Allocation Document I&O: Main Document April 2013 whether additional provision of utilities infrastructure is required for any of the sites included in the site allocation process.
We intend to work with the utilities infrastructure providers to obtain information about individual sites as we consider which of them should be taken forward to the
Preferred Option stage of the SAD.
Potable Water Supply
Walsall’s water supply is provided by South Staffordshire Water. The water supplied by the company comes mainly from boreholes in Staffordshire and the surrounding areas (including Walsall), and from Blithfield Reservoir in Staffordshire. There is a borehole within the borough from which water is abstracted at the Bourne Vale
Pumping Station in Aldridge (PS1). The location of the pumping station is shown on
Map 11.1 below and further details are shown in Table 11.1 below.
An outline water cycle study for the Black Country was undertaken in 2009 which concluded that the water supply was satisfactory. However, the 2011 Water White
Paper (Water for Life) indicates that there might be a potential long-term issue of water supply at national and regional level. Further detailed studies will therefore be necessary to establish whether issues of water supply are likely to affect the delivery of sites up to the end of the plan period (2026).
Waste Water Treatment
The Borough’s waste water treatment services are provided by Severn Trent Water and there are currently three waste water treatment facilities in Walsall, one in
Willenhall (SWG1), one in Goscote (SWG2) and one in Walsall Wood (Green Lane)
(SWG3) as shown on Map 11.1 below. These facilities have also been identified as waste management sites (see Chapter 8). From 1 st
October 2011 all private sewers also became the responsibility of the sewerage companies.
1
1
Waste Water Treatment in the UK – 2012, available at http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/gb/eu/uwwt16
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The water companies did not identify a need for new waste water treatment infrastructure during the preparation of the BCCS. The 2009 outline Water Cycle
Study also did not identify any major issues with sewage and water treatment capacity for the Borough, but this was based on special assumptions in the absence of evidence relating to water treatment plants processing capacity and trade flow meaning an in-depth assessment could not therefore be carried out at that time.
A more detailed study will be required to re-assess the water supply and water & sewage treatment infrastructure for the Borough to identify whether the level of new development set out in the core strategy can be supported by this essential infrastructure without causing deterioration in the downstream water environment.
The treatment facility at Goscote is undergoing a major upgrading programme which is likely to mean that this site will continue to operate as a waste water treatment plant for some time to come.
The Willenhall plant has also recently undergone upgrading (installation of storm water storage tanks), but was put forward for re-development in response to the “Call for Sites,” so it is unclear whether this plant will continue to serve the borough’s sewage treatment needs or whether it will become surplus to needs and potentially allocated for re-development for a different use.
The Council will need to engage with Severn Trent Water on the future of the
Willenhall site and on whether the emerging proposals for the SAD are likely to generate any further requirements for waste water treatment, beyond the upgrading works underway at Goscote, before any decisions can be made.
Gas and Electricity Services
Through the process of designating an Enterprise Zone in Darlaston, it was identified that significant development in this area for particular industrial uses may require infrastructure improvements to the electricity network. Although a Local Development
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Order (LDO) has already been granted covering this area setting out a simplified planning process and permitted uses on the sites within the LDO boundary, this is only for an initial period of 5 years. We will therefore need to consider infrastructure improvements in this area through site allocations in the SAD that are to be delivered up to 2026. We are not aware of any other requirements for improvements to the gas and electricity network in the Borough. More information on the Local Development
Order can be found at:
•
http://cms.walsall.gov.uk/index/environment/planning/ldo.htm
Renewable Energy
Fuel poverty is a major issue in Walsall (as it is nationally). In 2009 it was estimated that more than a quarter of households in Walsall were in fuel poverty (27.4%) compared to 26.2% of households in the West Midlands region and 18.4% of households in England. Programmes aimed at addressing fuel poverty have focused on improving the energy efficiency of existing homes, and are therefore outside the scope of the planning system, for example, through the Building Regulations / Code for Sustainable Homes, and through schemes that offer free or subsidized loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and more energy efficient heating systems to vulnerable households. However, there may be a role for the SAD in identifying suitable locations in areas affected by poverty and deprivation for community-based renewable energy projects or district heat and power schemes.
To take forward the UK Renewable Energy Strategy (2009) and Renewable Energy
Action Plan for the UK (2010), the potential for the development of new renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP) infrastructure in the West Midlands region has been explored in a recent study. This was on behalf of the West Midlands local authorities, and followed the methodology recommended by the Department for
Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The study includes an assessment of the accessible renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP) potential in each local authority area. It should be stressed that this represents potential capacity and does not take account all of the constraints that may apply, such as economic viability and deployment (supply chain).
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The profile for Walsall suggests that the potential for renewable and low carbon energy development is low, and that most of the potential is likely to be in
“microgeneration” which is outside the scope of the SAD. The situation is similar in the rest of the Black Country. However, it does identify limited potential for wind
(around 59 MW) and biomass (around 21 MW). It also identifies potential low carbon demand (i.e. demand for combined heat and power or heat, power and cooling) of around 707 GWh/yr in Walsall, significantly lower than any of the other Black
Country authorities. The only renewable energy facility in the Borough as at
November 2012 is situated at Coppice Lane in Aldridge and provides energy from landfill gas (shown on Map 11.1 below). The SAD needs to consider whether there is genuine potential to develop the technologies considered to have potential in the
Borough (i.e. wind and biomass), and if so, which locations would be most suitable.
The baseline information provided by the study provides a starting point for considering the options likely to be available and the estimated potential in Walsall, the Black Country and the region. These are the kinds of infrastructure projects which may be able to come forward through the SAD, although no such projects were put forward in response to the “call for sites” in 2011.
The rising cost of fuel is also a potential constraint on business growth. The recent
Walsall Business Survey (2010) identified rising energy costs as a significant problem for local businesses. This suggests a need to explore the potential for largescale regeneration projects, particularly in deprived areas, which can deliver the infrastructure needed to lower the cost of energy for local businesses as well as deprived communities, for example, district heating, power and cooling and facilities for generation of renewable and low carbon energy that can supply existing/ proposed employment developments and provide cheaper and more reliable sources of energy.
Utilities Infrastructure Questions
UI:Q2 Do you know of any sites in the borough that would be appropriate for renewable energy generation (wind and biomass)?
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UI:Q3 Are there any specific proposals or allocations for land-uses (refer to
Chapter 12: Sites, Choices and Constraints) that would require a site to be allocated for renewable energy generation to serve the development, i.e. a combined heat and power facility?
Telecommunications (including super fast broadband and fibre optic)
The NPPF notes that advanced, high quality communications infrastructure is essential for sustainable economic growth. The development of high speed broadband technology and other communications networks also plays a vital role in enhancing the provision of local community facilities and services.
The availability of high quality telecommunications infrastructure can be a factor in attracting industries that make use of this technology. It can also lead to changes in working patterns and reduce the need to travel, for example by enabling home working. However, other than the provision of masts to support mobile communications, and encouraging “passive provision” in new developments in the form of trunking to carry fibre optic cables, the role of the planning system in facilitating high speed telecommunications is limited. We are not aware of any particular limitations affecting the capacity of the telecommunications network in
Walsall and land for telecommunications equipment is usually relatively small in size.
We do not therefore think it is necessary to include requirements in the SAD relating to telecommunications as this will continue to be dealt with through the Development
Management process.
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Map 11.1 – Utilities Infrastructure
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Table 11.1 – Utilities Infrastructure Details
SAD /
AAP
Ref
Site Name Site Address Site
SWG1 WILLENHALL
SEWAGE
WORKS
ANSON
ROAD,
BENTLEY,
WALSALL,
WS2 0NX
SWG2 GOSCOTE
SEWAGE
WORKS
GOSCOTE
LODGE
CRESCENT,
WALSALL,
WS3 1SB
SWG3 WALSALL
WOOD
SEWAGE
TREATMENT
WORKS
RE1 VIGO
UTOPIA
GREEN
LANE,
WALSALL
WOOD.
COPPICE
LANE,
ALDRIDGE,
WALSALL.
Current
Use(s) including use class
Treatment
Plant (Sui
Generis).
Treatment
Plant (Sui
Generis).
Treatment
Plant (Sui
Generis).
Preferred
Use(s) by
Council
Reasons for Considering Option Key Issues Summary considering alternative uses for this site.
Current
Use
Current
Use
Site has previously been put forward for re-development and is likely to become surplus to requirements.
Subject to a new access being created from the Black Country Route this could provide a new site for industry, or a potential new housing site using existing access from Anson Rd /
Riverbank Rd. This site is considered to be a ‘Choices’ site where we are seeking your views on the potential future use of the site – for more information please view the Site
Selection chapter and maps using
Choices References CH82 & CH91.
This site is undergoing a major upgrade and there appears to be no evidence to suggest this site is surplus to requirements. It will not be considered for re-development at this time unless evidence is provided to suggest otherwise.
There is no evidence to suggest this site is surplus to requirements and should be safeguarded.
Site currently has constrained access that would not be suitable for industry. Parts of site fall within flood zones 2, 3 and 3b and west section of site contains Riverside Estate
Open Space (Site ID
OS9061).
N/A
N/A management facility - energy from landfill gas
Current
Use
April 2013
This is the only renewable energy facility in the Borough as at November
2012 and will not be considered for redevelopment.
N/A
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WIEN2 WILLENHALL
SUB
STATION
BILSTON
LANE,
WILLENHALL.
(Sui
Generis).
0.43ha Substation Retain
(Sui
Generis).
Current
Use
PS1 BOURNE
VALE
PUMPING
STATION
CHESTER
ROAD,
ALDRIDGE.
Unknown Water
Pumping
Station (Sui
Generis).
Retain
Current
Use
April 2013
We are not aware of any relocation plans or whether this site will become surplus to requirements over the plan period.
We are not aware of any relocation plans or whether this site will become surplus to requirements over the plan period.
N/A
N/A
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11.5 Conclusions
April 2013
As noted above, there is no evidence of any major utilities infrastructure constraints that might affect development in the borough as a whole. Possible constraints that require investment in the infrastructure to serve individual sites might impose costs on landowners or potential developers and this will be considered as part of the site selection process.
11.6 Options
We think that necessary utilities infrastructure should be provided as it is fundamental to the deliverability of sites and we are not therefore proposing any options on this. However, we do think that the provision of renewable energy infrastructure presents a different set of considerations and have therefore set out options for this below.
UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE
OPTION 1
Allocate land for large-scale renewable energy (wind and biomass) generation projects.
UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE
OPTION 2
Do not allocate land for renewable energy generation but address policy requirements through individual development proposals.
IMPLICATIONS
Renewable energy generation could be increased through larger scale projects; however possible adverse impacts on the environment and on land availability for other important uses would have to be taken into account.
IMPLICATIONS
Land would not be taken up for such projects but achieving higher renewable energy generation could lead to more requirements for the design or energy efficiency of individual buildings within certain land-uses.
Utilities Infrastructure Questions
UI:Q4 Which option do you prefer? Please explain why and how you think this could be delivered.
UI:Q5 Is there any other utilities infrastructure that you think we should consider? If so what is it and why do you think it is important?
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UI:Q6 Are you aware of any up-to-date baseline information that sets out current and projected provision of the utilities infrastructure we have set out in this chapter? If yes, please tell us where this information can be found.
UI:Q7 Are you aware of any potential deficits in utilities infrastructure that could affect the deliverability of any of the sites being considered for allocation in Chapter 12? If yes, please provide supporting evidence and tell us which sites you think would be affected.
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