We need to have our say again
YOUR OBJECTIONS ARE NEEDED!
The Royal Mail want to relocate two delivery offices based in Brighton and Hove to Patcham Court Farm located on Vale Avenue in Patcham Village.
The Royal Mail conveniently submitted this Planning Application (BH2022/02232) while most people are busy on their Summer Holidays!
Please take five minutes to object
DANGERS TO THE AQUIFER & WATER SUPPLY
Here are just some of the reasons that the planning application should be objected on.
- The 3.5 acre site generates a supply of natural drinking water. All rainfall on the site is fed through the chalk rock system and enters the "water mines beneath". It joins the water tunnel system and ends up at the Southern Water Patcham Pumping Station at Waterhall where it is filtered and used as our drinking water.
However under these plans all rainwater collected on the site must be sent to the sewer because of the risk of contamination into the water supply.
With low rainfall and increased drought conditions predicted for the future we should be safeguarding this natural water source for future generations and not prioritising efficient parcel delivery. - Risk of poisoning the water supply. Royal Mail's Hydrological Risk Assessments has a section on when contamination could occur during construction. This is a very real risk to the aquifer and our water supply.
If the water is contaminated during this clearing and construction period (Royal Mail estimate this to be between September 2024 and Summer of 2026) approximately 165,000 households water is at risk.
If for any reason systems are not implemented correctly or during the excavation and development of the site pollution enters the water systems it will not be possible for Patcham Pumping Station (750 metres away) to send the water to the population for use until it is not polluted. There is no pollution risk assessment included for the construction or operational phases.
There is already a Poor Quality rating on the water from the Brighton Chalk Block and the Drinking Water Inspectorate have been monitoring Patcham Pumping Station since 2017.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate consider that the water from the pumping station is "at risk of becoming unwholesome".
There is a higher risk here because the site is 750 metres from the pumping station and 100 metres from a water collection tunnel. It's proximity increases the risk.