RESIDENTS and councillors in Purton say no new houses should be built in the village until problems with overflowing sewage are sorted out.

Hannick Homes had applied to build seven houses behind 29-33 Station Road but the developer has been asked to reduce the plan from seven to five houses.

The decision was taken at a meeting of North Wiltshire District Council's Area Planning Committee in Purton last week.

The plan had been increased from five to seven to accommodate low-cost housing.

Last week, councillors asked for the number of houses to be decreased because of increased traffic and complaints from residents about sewage.

The sewage system is at the foot of the village, towards Cricklade, off Mopes Lane, and serves Purton and Purton Stoke.

Jacqui Lay lives at the foot of Station Road and said manholes have overflowed and spilt in to her garden continually over the past 18 years.

Coun Helen Dixon, who represents Purton ward on the district council, said there are a number of sewage problems with existing homes.

"So far as the Hammick Homes development is concerned we have been told by Thames Water that this can go ahead," said Coun Dixon.

"Nobody is being open with us and I don't believe we are getting the full story. We have clear evidence that the sewage treatment system cannot cope with the existing residents."

She said 11 houses have been built in Red Gables Close, Purton, with facilities that would be using the system.

She pointed out that 25 toilets in The Pear Tree Hotel, on the edge of the village, went on to the system two or three years ago.

She said between 12 and 15 houses in The Hyde are due to go on to the main sewage system next April.

"I have been told that an extra one per cent here or there won't make any difference to the system. Yet if a container is full to capacity surely the smallest amount added to it will cause it to overflow."

She said the residents are not against all new development, but want to maintain Purton's character and individuality.

Mrs Lay said she is fed up with the problems caused by overflowing sewage in her garden. "It has been doing this for 18 years and yet people from Thames Water keep coming out and they don't seem to be able to work out what the problem is," she said.

"Every time it rains it comes out of the manholes at the bottom of the road and if I don't lift up the manhole it comes out of the holes and runs all over my garden."

At last week's meeting, district council leader David Packham, said: "We have heard from a member of the public who has suffered with sewage for 18 years and have had numerous complaints from residents of The Hyde about this.

"We need to draw a line, particularly if the container is full, and bearing in mind that houses in Red Gables Close are going to be using it as well."

Coun Michael Hatton said: "Every application coming in to this committee for this area should be refused until the sewage system is sorted out."

Coun Lesley Bennett said authorities such as Wessex Water and Thames Water needed to become statutory consultees because councillors do not have enough information about sewage systems serving homes.