Storage tank proposed to prevent Coventry sewage spills

A water company has said it wants to reduce sewage leakage by building an underground storage system next to a pub.

Severn Trent Water has submitted plans for a site off Unicorn Lane in Eastern Green, Coventry.

The company said it aims to increase storage space in the local sewer network so there is less leakage from combined sewer overflows into the city.

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) release sewage into waterways when there is heavy rain to prevent the system from overflowing.

They should only be used in exceptional circumstances to prevent sewage flooding buildings, but campaigners and politicians have complained they are used too often.

Water companies have collectively pledged to invest £10bn in upgrading the nation’s sewers to tackle the problem.

A company spokesman said it had rained a third more than in 2022 and highlighted its investment in storm runoff.

The Coventry project comes amid a £78m Severn Trent scheme to improve the health of Warwickshire’s rivers, according to a planning statement.

The company also aims to create two “bathing rivers” in the region, it said.

The site at Unicorn Lane is currently woodland and pasture.

Some protected trees would need to be removed for the works, the planning statement said.

A monetary value was calculated so compensation could be agreed with the council, although some trees would likely have to be removed within five years for safety reasons due to disease, the company’s report said.

Changes have also been proposed at an intersection so that vehicles can turn safely.

The firm said all other possible sites for the scheme had been “carefully assessed and narrowed down”.