100 signatures reached
To: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council
Making Basement Excavations Safer with Compulsory Controls
We ask that Richmond Council strengthens its regulations regarding basements, along similar lines to those already in force in other boroughs such as Camden. Our Council must require a thorough investigation of the ground and groundwater, over sufficient time to take into account the effect of seasonal changes. A construction sequence should also be compulsory, based on the results of that investigation, to anticipate the ground and groundwater response at every stage of excavation and specify the measures which will be put in place to avoid damaging other properties.
Planning permission for a basement should never be considered by the Council until its technical experts, having seen the investigation report and the construction plan, are satisfied that no damage will be caused to neighbouring properties or to the wider environment.
For the investigation and the construction sequence, the Council must specify; a Chartered Geologist, a Chartered Structural Engineer with a post graduate qualification in Soil Mechanics and in areas with known ground water issues, a member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management who has specialist training in groundwater hydrology.
Planning permission for a basement should never be considered by the Council until its technical experts, having seen the investigation report and the construction plan, are satisfied that no damage will be caused to neighbouring properties or to the wider environment.
For the investigation and the construction sequence, the Council must specify; a Chartered Geologist, a Chartered Structural Engineer with a post graduate qualification in Soil Mechanics and in areas with known ground water issues, a member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management who has specialist training in groundwater hydrology.
Why is this important?
Over the last few years basement excavations have caused considerable damage to a large number of properties in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames and many residents are alarmed by the increasing demand for basement extensions. We are not campaigning against basements as such but we believe that Richmond Council as a matter of urgency needs to put in place effective protection for neighbours and our environment.
In the majority of cases problems have occurred as a result of inadequate knowledge of complex ground and groundwater conditions, combined with poor understanding of the effects of excavation. Our Council has recently issued guidelines suggesting tests to accompany any planning application for a basement but these tests are insufficient; they do not specify the level of expertise and qualifications require; and crucially THEY ARE NOT COMPULSORY.
Other councils, such as Camden and Kensington & Chelsea, are tackling the same problems much more rigorously, demanding that anyone wishing to install a basement must first commission a Basement Impact Assessment from highly qualified experts, and also a detailed construction plan. Only when this has been accepted by the Council's technical experts will a planning application for the basement be considered.
Historically many areas in and around Richmond have had problems with underground water and some parts were basically marshland, as shown in the 1837 Tithe Map of Barnes Parish. Because so many parts of the London Borough of Richmond are vulnerable to much increased and often uncontrolled excavation, the protection outlined above is urgently required for all its residents.
In the majority of cases problems have occurred as a result of inadequate knowledge of complex ground and groundwater conditions, combined with poor understanding of the effects of excavation. Our Council has recently issued guidelines suggesting tests to accompany any planning application for a basement but these tests are insufficient; they do not specify the level of expertise and qualifications require; and crucially THEY ARE NOT COMPULSORY.
Other councils, such as Camden and Kensington & Chelsea, are tackling the same problems much more rigorously, demanding that anyone wishing to install a basement must first commission a Basement Impact Assessment from highly qualified experts, and also a detailed construction plan. Only when this has been accepted by the Council's technical experts will a planning application for the basement be considered.
Historically many areas in and around Richmond have had problems with underground water and some parts were basically marshland, as shown in the 1837 Tithe Map of Barnes Parish. Because so many parts of the London Borough of Richmond are vulnerable to much increased and often uncontrolled excavation, the protection outlined above is urgently required for all its residents.
