On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 08:02:30 -0000, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:

Somebody else on this group has mentioned trouble getting permission
for a septic tank recently but I got one put in just over a year ago
with no problems at all.

Is this another case of environmental agencies in different areas
having different interpretations of the new regulations regarding
septic tanks, I wonder ?

No! The Environment Agency are responsible for all consents not the planners
or building control.

Perhaps I should have said environmental agency offices.

The same rules apply to the whole of England and Wales.

There does seem to be variation to how they are applied though. As you
say elsewhere in this thread, mini treatment plants are becoming the
norm and the one case where such a plant was installed that I am
familiar with involved some *very* heavy "recommendations" from the
environment official despite the fact that there was an existing
(damaged)septic tank and (undamaged) soakaway which could have been
reused.

In my case a mini treatment works was never even mentioned.

There is exemption from consent where the output volume is very low. What
varies is the ground conditions and this may mean that a septic tank is not
allowed where there is heavy clay and no room for a large soakaway. Just my
situation except that there was room and the soakaway area is huge!


Cheers,

John