TWO housing developers have sought to allay residents’ fears over flooding as progress moves forward on one of Taunton’s three ‘urban extensions’.

Up to 2,000 new homes will be built within the ‘Comeytrowe urban extension’ between the A38 Wellington Road and Honiton Road after outline plans were approved in April 2018.

Developers Taylor Wimpey and the Vistry Group submitted plans for a new pumping station in the middle of the site to help prevent flooding for both the area’s existing homes and the new development.

These plans were thrown out on legal grounds by Somerset West and Taunton Council in early-June, following an outcry by local residents.

The developers have now sought to “reassure those with concerns” as they attempt to move forward with this specific element.

In a statement published on Tuesday (June 23), the developers said the pumping station was essential to making the development a success and would not be an obtrusive structure.

A spokeswoman said: “Set to become a community with 2,000 homes, the development will require a pumping station, which is a facility that safely transfers foul drainage away from the site.

“Most of the pumping station will be located underground, including several chambers and manholes.

“A minimal amount will be visible at ground level, including a kiosk containing the controls equipment and fencing, which will be screened with plants.

“The design features will ensure that odour and noise are not an issue, with data automatically transmitted to alert Wessex Water if maintenance work is required.”

More than 3,000 people have signed a petition via Change.org as of Wednesday afternoon (June 24) demanding that the pumping station be sited elsewhere within the urban extension to prevent flooding, pollution of the town centre and damage to the nearby Galmington Stream.

A spokesman for the residents’ group behind the petition said: “The developers have hundreds of acres on which to position this utility site.

“We only ask that they move the compound away from Galmington Stream and residents, to somewhere safer.”

The developers have responded that the pumping station’s proposed location was “in line with approved plans” and was “the most effective positioning for drainage” since it was the lowest part of the site.

A spokeswoman said: “While there are areas nearby that experience excess water from the Galmington stream, the pumping station will not increase the risk of flooding in this area or downstream.

“There have been understandable concerns about the impact of the facility on the stream, which we can put to rest.

“There is no physical connection between the pumping station and the stream. This prevents the possibility of contamination or overflowing.

“The design includes measures that ensure waste is safety dealt with via pipes – with 330,000 litres of additional secure underground storage and a host of safety features also in place.

“Furthermore, in building the pumping station the construction work will be organised so that it has minimal effect on the stream or surrounding natural area. Temporary measures will be put in place by the contractor to ensure the stream is unaffected.

“This is a stunning location and we are committed to developing a new community in a way that is sensitive to both the natural environment and those living locally.”

Plans for the first 70 homes to be built on the site – near the proposed ‘park and bus’ area at the site’s western edge – are expected to be debated by the council’s planning committee later in the year.