I was delighted last night that Test Valley Borough Council Full Council unanimously backed my amendments to Cllr Neil Gwynne's motion on water quality.
There's nothing wrong with the opposition using the motions put forward by the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors standard monthly motion, but it's so much better if we make it our own. More importantly we should ensure we are doing something, holding the miscreants to account, not just writing letters.
Those polluting our rivers and water courses should include of course Southern Water, but also those who are polluting our water through other means, including in my view Aster of course, as a result of their failure to maintain their private sewerage plants.
Here's the amended motion:
This Council notes that:
• Every river in England is now polluted beyond legal limits.
• In 2019 the Environment Agency rated just 14% of rivers as ‘Good’.
• Some 36% of English rivers have been damaged by water companies. They released untreated human waste into our waterways over 400,000 times to a total of 3 million hours in 2020 alone. In that same year just 3.6% of pollution complaints made to the Environment Agency resulted in penalties.
• Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality and regulate farms and water companies, has dropped 75% since 2010/11.
• Consequently farms are now rarely inspected, water quality is rarely tested, and water companies can pump raw sewage into rivers with virtual impunity.
So to protect the Rivers Anton, Blackwater, Dun and Test– and their tributaries this Council resolves to request the Climate Emergency and Countryside Portfolio Holder write to:
• The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the Government to urgently address these issues through the Environment Act 2021.
• Both of the Borough’s Members of Parliament, asking for their support in this matter.
• The Chief Executive of Southern Water, calling for urgent action to address the impact of waste-water discharges on our local rivers – and the river Test in particular.
• The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
Environment Agency and the Regional Director of the National
Farmers’ Union requesting clarification on the action being taken
locally by farmers to prevent nutrient run-off.
• The charities River Action and The Rivers Trust expressing this
Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.
• Additionally, that officers report any instances or complaints of
pollution in Test Valley’s waterways and rivers to the Portfolio
Holder for Climate Emergency and Countryside and that OSCOM be asked to review such reports, including requesting the appropriate agencies account for their actions.