Dr. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings have taken place at ministerial or official level with local representatives on sewerage in the Fareham area; what invitations have been extended to the Fare-ham Urban District Council to attend such meetings; and what has been the attendance record of representatives of the council.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsDuring the past 12 months, the council's engineer and officers of my Department have had several informal meetings, one of which was attended also by officers of the Hampshire River Authority and of the South Hampshire Main Drainage Board, to discuss sewerage in the Fareham area. No formal meetings have been arranged for that purpose.
Dr. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made on the Fareham sewerage scheme and on the South Hampshire sewerage scheme; what incompatibilities there are between the two schemes; and what views have been expressed by the public authorities concerned.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsI am glad to say that some progress has been made in the past year and that construction is likely to start next February on the first phase of the Fareham scheme. I understand that the public authorities concerned are trying to ensure that the second phase does not prejudice the long-term drainage proposals for South Hampshire. Meanwhile, the South Hampshire Main Drainage Board has submitted for confirmation a compulsory purchase order for land at Peel Common for a sewage disposal works, and has applied for planning permission for the works. The Fareham Urban District Council has lodged an objection to the compulsory purchase order.