INDEPENDENT drainage experts could be called in to finally put an end to confusion over South Craven's sewerage system.

Evidence has shown that the Keighley low level sewer, which serves the majority of towns and villages in South Craven, simply cannot cope with the amount of effluent it is having to deal with.

And there have been calls for a ban on building any new homes until the situation can be resolved.

But councillors meeting in Bradford on Monday deferred making a decision on the matter for the fifth time, after it was revealed they had been given the wrong figures. Council officers had prepared a report on what effect the building of hundreds of new homes in the area would have on the sewerage system.

But Steeton environmental campaigner John Walker revealed the report prepared by their own officers was "seriously flawed". He said councillors could not get a proper view of what would happen to the sewer until the correct figures were given.

"It's so clear that you must see it," said Mr Walker. "You must have the courage to act justly. Sewerage alone is a perfectly adequate reason for disallowing planning applications."

Mr Walker also told the council that combined sewerage outfalls, which were discharging raw sewage into the River Aire even during dry conditions, had been missed off Yorkshire Water's sewerage study, despite being investigated by the Environment Agency.

Coun Sandy Macpherson called for outside experts to be brought in to help the council make sense of the information it was being given, and of the Yorkshire Water study.

"It might cost a lot more but it's less expensive than fighting a lot of planning inquiries," he said.

Bradford's Conservative group attempted to press for conditions to be placed on all the housing sites earmarked in Silsden, to prevent homes being built until the sewer situation had been resolved.

And Coun Phil Thornton threw his weight behind the idea of bringing in independent experts.

"We have gone round in a big circle for six months. We need answers and should get a detailed report from an independent consultant on the matter, otherwise it's going to go on and on."

The transportation, planning and design committee agreed to defer making any decision and check whether it was legally possible for the council to ban housing developments in the area. It will also write to Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency and watchdog body Ofwat expressing serious concerns about the handling of the situation. A Yorkshire Water spokesman confirmed the council had asked it to re-run its sewage flow predictions with the new housing figures, but these had had a "negligible impact" on the findings of its initial report.

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