Southwark Council has applied for a judicial review to be carried out into plans to use a busy site in Bermondsey for a "super sewer" on the riverside of the Thames.

Last month, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles approved plans for the Thames Tideway Tunnel to commence. This would run from west to east London and aims to collect some 39 million tonnes of sewage which is discharged into the River Thames each year.

The sewage would be collected from 34 different discharge points along the tidal river before being taken to the Beckton sewage works for treatment.

The underground tunnel is due to take seven years to build, with construction set to start in 2016.

However, Southwark Council has argued that proposed work at the Chambers Wharf site in Bermondsey will have a "devastating impact" on the area.


In a statement, Councillor Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said: "I can now confirm we have issued the High Court with an application for a Judicial Review into the Secretaries of State's decision to approve plans for the super sewer in their current form because of the devastating impact the work will have on the lives of the thousands of people who live, work and go to school around the proposed Chamber's Wharf tunnel drive site."

He added that following the reports of a number of planning inspectors, it was concluded that Chambers Wharf would have a "very significant" impact on those residents living, as well as those working and going to school in the area.

The council suggested that Abbey Mills would be a more appropriate site, with less impact.

Barney Holbeche, Chair of Save Your Riverside residents' campaign group, commented: "It is very surprising and disappointing that ministers chose to ignore advice from the planning inspectorate and therefore go against the national policy statement on waste water which states that the tunnel should only be given consent if significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life from noise have been avoided.

"The credibility of the planning process is in doubt because of this decision on the tunnel and we therefore welcome the decision of Southwark Council to question the legalities of it."

A spokesperson for the Government said it was unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings, but that it had "full confidence in the robustness of the development consent order."

(JP/IT)