PLANNING officers are anxious to see improvements to sewage works in Okehampton before any more new housing development takes place in the town.

With three new estates currently being built there are fears that the sewage system will not be able to cope with a large increase in population.

Planning officer Chris Watson said a sewage embargo had been in place for years and the only reason planning permissions had been granted since then was because the developers had made large contributions to the sewage improvement works.

'The new homes being built at Exeter Road, Glendale Road and Upcott have been allowed on the basis of a financial contribution but this does not mean other developers can come in on the back of that,' he said.

'There has been a delay in the improvement works by South West Water and applications now will be looked at very carefully in relation to the sewage embargo.'

Mr Watson was referring in particular to an application by Beazer Homes to build 95 new houses at Laburnum.

'The intention was that works to enlarge the sewage system, which is now at capacity, would be done before the houses currently being built were occupied,' he said,

'It now appears this will coincide with the occupation of houses so the water company must be confident the sewage system can take a little more before total chaos happens.'

Almost 200 new homes are currently being erected and Okehampton is in line for 800 more in the next few years.

Redrow Homes, Westbury Homes and Knapp New Homes have contributed between £50,000 and £100,000 each towards the expansion of the sewage system at Hill Barton.

Press officer for South West Water Paul Breakwell said the company had a deadline to upgrade the system by March 2002.

'Later this year we will be carrying out a full assessment of the sewage works,' he said. 'Okehampton is just one of the many schemes around the region that involves an upgrade and it is actually quite high up on the list of priorities.

'There is already a good sewage treatment works there — it is just a question of making sure it can cope with the pressure that will be put on it.'

He said the work would have been done before now if the town really needed it.

Okehampton Town Council has not supported the application by Beazer Homes because of the sewage situation, the standard of development and density.

It has also raised concerns about the lack of amenity space, spine road through the middle and footpaths.