Fears over the capacity of Sunderland’s sewage network are set to be probed by city bosses.
The issue has now threatened to block two separate proposals for house building in Seaburn this year and even prompted calls for an independent survey of the system.
And now councillors are set to considered the issue in detail next week, which could potentially see them call for a formal investigation.
“The issue of sewage has come up again and again,” said Coun Niall Hodson, leader of the city’s Liberal Democrat opposition group.
“Is there anything to stop this committee making a report to the full council that we’re concerned about the issue and want it to be given further consideration?”
He added: “My particular concern is the effect this single issue is having on this committee, this is the third meeting in a row on Seaburn which has been dominated by this issue.”
Coun Hodson was speaking at Monday's meeting of Sunderland City Council’s planning and highways committee.
The panel was due to rule on an application for 82 homes near Lowry Road, in Seaburn, and only narrowly approved the plans after objectors raised concerns about sewage capacity in the area.
Earlier this year the committee agreed to delay a decision on plans to build near Seaburn Camp while an independent survey of the city’s sewage network was requested.
But the scheme was later approved when this was rejected and councillors accepted they had no grounds to deny permission.
The panel is now due to consider issues raised about the sewage system when it meets next week (Tuesday, March 17) following a request by Coun Hodson.
This could pave the way for it to be debated by a meeting of the full city council, which is next scheduled to meet on March 25.
“It seems again we’re getting side tracked by sewage,” Coun Stephen Foster told last night’s meeting.
“It is worrying when [letters from objectors] quote 370 tonnes of untreated sewage, but we’re not here to discuss that [tonight], we’re not experts and we’re getting dragged into something we shouldn’t be getting dragged into.”
