During the long hot days at the end of July, strolling around the newer estates in Hugglescote, much of the open space was dried to a crisp. Only the drainage ponds were green oases of rushes and reeds thriving due to surface water draining from the roadways above. Which is exactly what is supposed to happen.
Across England our sewer and drainage systems are under strain. Old Victorian drains were built to handle both rainwater and wastewater. Modern estates keep surface and foul water flows separate, but the pipes still join the existing system to get to the sewage treatment plant. When heavy winter rain falls on hard urban roadways and roofs, it overwhelms the old system.
Sewage outflows pollute our local rivers, poison our wildlife and bring waterborne diseases.
The Government’s White Paper, ‘A New Vision for Water’, published earlier this year promised to get upstream of these problems. Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SUDS) are designed to manage water runoff from properties and developments. They slow the flow of water and allow pollutants to be naturally filtered through permeable surfaces, wetlands and grassed areas. This approach offers long-term, sustainable and efficient water management, essential for our changing environment.
Legislation, funding streams, and regulatory mechanisms were promised to support the delivery of these pre-pipe solutions. In the meantime, Planners at NWLDC got on and made SUDS mandatory. The Lead Local Flood Agency at LCC approved the designs. Developers built the drainage ponds, and the SUDS seemed to work.
But without formal regulation, it is not clear who is expected to maintain the drainage ponds once all the houses have been sold.
Residents and parish councillors in Hugglescote and Donington le Heath have good reason to be concerned. In 2024 of the 1,647 sewerage spills in NWLeics lasting a total of 15,145 hours across the 56 storm overflows, just two locations contributed to 62% of the incidents and 87% of the time: Townsend Lane and Coalville South.
In June 2025 I chaired a Working Group at NWLDC looking into Water Management in SE Coalville. We were supported by officers from East Midlands Councils and met with residents, planners, the lead local flood agency and, crucially, Severn Trent Water. Our recommendations were presented to NWLDC Cabinet at the end of July 2026. They have agreed to ask the Government to go ahead with their plans for…
…a SUDS Approval Body to take responsibility for maintaining SUDS and checking they actually work.
In those long hot July days, when most Hugglescote SUDS were lush with rushes, one drainage pond was desert dry: the one at the Berry Hill end of Frearson Road, nearest to the Townsend Lane sewage overflow. Is that a coincidence? NWLDC Cabinet has asked the Planning and Development Team to engage with Severn Trent Water.
If misconnection is impacting on STW’s infrastructure they need to know.
Article first published in the Coalville Community Voice September 2026
Leave a Reply