Ms. L. Griffiths
Cherwell District Council
Planning & Development Services
Bodicote House 
White Post Road
Bodicote
Banbury
OX15 4AA

	

Our ref:	WA/2009/107427/02-L01
Your ref:	09/01532/REM

Date:		14 June 2010

Dear Ms Griffiths

RESERVED MATTERS - STRATEGIC HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE: CENTRAL SECTION OF THE INTERNAL SPINE ROAD SERVING THE DEVELOPMENT AT SW BICESTER: "KINGSMERE."   
LAND WEST OF BICESTER ADJOINING OXFORD ROAD AND MIDDLETON STONETY ROAD, BICESTER.      

Thank you for your letter dated 20 May 2010 regarding the above reserved matters application.
 
We acknowledge that the Council has decided to issue the reserved matters consent for the southern and central sections of the internal spine road, despite our concerns over the wider sustainability of the drainage system.
 
We feel that a reliance on piped drainage through these sections of the development is contrary to the approved Design Code dated April 2008 which states that primary streets such as this will include ‘Verge swales or localised infiltration areas with french drains below’. Although the specific SUDS techniques for the ‘Primary streets’, such as the spine road, are not in the ‘Mandatory red text’ in the Design Code, due consideration should still be given to the outlined hierarchy or there would have been be no reason for the hierarchy to be included in the design code. We accept that swales may not be feasible through the majority of these spine road sections, but do not accept the reasons for filter drains or other similar techniques to also be dismissed, as they are not land-take intensive.
 
This Design Code showed a commitment to a surface water drainage scheme which maximises the use of sustainable techniques at each stage in the SUDS management train from source to discharge. Although we feel that the drainage system for these sections of spine road is a deviance from this best practice approach, we believe that a good overall sustainable drainage system is still achievable as part of this development.
 
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Ms Michelle Kidd
Planning Liaison Officer

Direct dial 01491 828455
Direct fax 01491 834703
Direct e-mail michelle.kidd@environment-agency.gov.uk

cc Countryside Properties Ltd