Thames Water

The Environment Agency has stopped Thames Water’s licence to abstract water at Hawridge due to its adverse effect on the river Chess. The only available abstraction resource is in the Slough area, and additional network infrastructure is needed to transfer sufficient water to offset the loss at Hawridge. A new pumping station at Buckland will be required to transfer water to Dancers End waterworks. The location of the water booster station is constrained hydraulically. Thames Water are planning to site the water booster station inside a wooden building, which will measure 9m to the ridge line, on land immediately adjacent to Hope Cottages, Buckland Road.  Hope Cottages are only 6.5 metres high making the proposed pumping station dwarf the cottages !

The pumping station forms part of a major new water pipeline for the Aylesbury area, and the water booster station itself will require planning consent, which will be sought in the New Year. The public will be able to comment on the proposals at this stage.

Buckland Parish Council asked Thames Water that engineers look at alternative sites within the parcel of land under consideration and, if technically possible, to move the station away from Hope Cottages to an area closer to major road infrastructure. They also asked Thames Water to be transparent in their planning process and to keep the Parish Council and residents informed of all developments.  Thames Water have now come back to the Parish Council to say that the only location suitable for their purposes is the site immediately adjacent to Hope Cottages.

The route of the pipeline approaches Buckland from College Road South (near the bypass), it skirts the Moat, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, enters the Buckland Conservation Area, passes through the wildlife conservation area at Moat Farm, crosses the village road via the entrance to Moat Farm, before passing through fields in a south easterly direction towards the Lower Icknield Way.  The pipleline route then crosses the Lower Icknield Way next to Inglands, before finally turning towards Hope Cottages and Buckland Road.

14th December 2023

Latest News:

Buckland Parish Council have received further plans and drawings along with an updated presentation from the public meeting held on 5th December 2023.

25th January 2024

Buckland Parish Council have been holding various meetings over the past two weeks to discuss the proposed booster station location.  Meeting notes can be found in the attachment.