To consider the following Motion to be proposed by Councillor Malcolm Wallace -
To protect our local rivers & WATERWAYS by taking account of the cumulative impact of POLLUTION INCLUDING SEWAGE DISCHARGE
This Council notes:
The Government’s Environmental Audit Select Committee ‘Fourth Report on Water Quality in Rivers’, published on 13th January 2022 states:
“Getting a complete overview of the health of our rivers and the pollution affecting them is hampered by outdated, underfunded and inadequate monitoring regimes. It is clear, however, that rivers in England are in a mess. A ‘chemical cocktail’ of sewage, agricultural waste, and plastic is polluting the waters of many of the country’s rivers. Water companies appear to be dumping untreated or partially treated sewage in rivers on a regular basis, often breaching the terms of permits that on paper only allow them to do this in exceptional circumstances. Farm slurry and fertiliser runoff is choking rivers with damaging algal blooms. Single use plastic sanitary products—often coated with chemicals that can harm aquatic life—are clogging up drains and sewage works and creating ‘wet wipe reefs’ in rivers. Revolting ‘fatbergs’ as big as blue whales are being removed from sewers, costing companies and their customers in the region of £100 million a year. Not a single river in England has received a clean bill of health for chemical contamination. Disturbing evidence suggests they are becoming breeding grounds for antimicrobial resistance.”
Winchester district residents are deeply concerned about water quality, including the impact of nitrates, phosphates and regular wastewater discharge (which includes untreated sewage) into our local rivers and the impact this has on wildlife and on human health.
Here in the Winchester district, Southern Water discharged sewage into local rivers and waterways over 250 times in 2021 totalling over 3,500 hours of sewage discharge in just one year. Releasing sewage into rivers is no longer an emergency-only situation occurring as a result of severe storms, but an everyday occurrence even in ‘normal’ rainfall, and that we are in a situation of cumulative overload on the sewage and wastewater system. Whilst there are long term commitments, there are no plans in place which will address the immediate unacceptable situation either locally by Southern Water or by national government.
Both the local and national planning policy requires a robust approach to both water quality and pollution and a recent legal opinion from the Environmental Law Firm confirms the need to consider cumulative impact. Yet planning consultation documents show that it has not been the practice of council planners to ask Water Companies to report on cumulative impact e.g. whether or not development may lead to any potential increase in ‘emergency’ discharge into rivers and waterways.
This Council resolves to:
1. Recognise this Council’s policy aim to protect its rivers as far as possible from the cumulative impacts of pollution, including in line with its local planning policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. Be aware that there is evidence of deterioration of water quality due to the cumulative impact of nitrates, phosphates and multiple sewage discharge events, and seek to better understand the impact on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents.
3. Draw on relevant evidence that assesses the cumulative impact of pollution so that this is appropriately factored into the local plan, including the overall level of future development.
4. Ask the relevant committee to invite senior representatives from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, and Natural England to attend a meeting to allow for a better understanding of the current levels of pollution and remedial action being taken in this regard.
5. Ask Southern Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major developments, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage; whether it has the information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas, and if it does have this information to share it (noting that this can only be requested not required).
6. Request that planning assessments, from now onwards, include in all reports on major developments appropriate coverage of the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out.
Minutes:
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, a motion had been submitted by Councillor Wallace as set out on the agenda.
With the leave of the Mayor, and agreement of the proposer the motion had been altered prior to the meeting and this was presented to council.
The motion (as altered) was seconded by Councillor Power and is set out as follows.
Alterations to the original version of the motion showing in bold and strikethrough.
ALTERED Motion.
This Council resolves to:
1. Recognise this
Council’s policy aim to protect the catchments of
our rare and precious habitats, the Itchen, Meon, Test (Dever) and
Hamble its rivers as far as possible from the cumulative
impacts of pollution, including in line with its local planning
policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. Be aware that there is evidence of deterioration of water quality from both private and statutory waste treatment systems due to the cumulative impact of nitrates, phosphates, micro-plastics, pharmaceuticals and multiple sewage discharge events, and seek to better understand the impact on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents.
3. Draw on relevant evidence that assesses the cumulative impact of pollution so that this is appropriately factored into the local plan, including the overall level of future development.
4. Ask the relevant Health & Environment Policy Committee to invite senior representatives from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, Salmon & Trout Conservation, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife and Natural England to attend a meeting to allow for a better understanding of the current levels of pollution and remedial action being taken in this regard.
5. Ask Southern Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major developments, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage; whether it has the information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas, and if it does have this information to share it (noting that this can only be requested not required).
6. Request that planning assessments, from now onwards, include in all reports on major developments appropriate coverage of the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out.
7. Support the devolution of the Environment Agency power to impose fines on water companies for pollution of local watercourses to local authorities and asks the Leader to seek to achieve this alongside other authorities through a future County Deal or other means.
8. Ask the Leader and Cabinet to collaborate with other Local Authorities facing similar water quality problems in order to best understand how we can use our influence to reduce and mitigate the damage done to our watercourses.
Councillor Wallace firstly introduced his motion (as altered) and then with his permission, Councillor Power (as seconder) provided some further background information.
Council then proceeded to ask questions and then debate the altered motion.
AMENDMENT – Moved by Councillor Weston and seconded by Councillor Brook.
Councillor Weston’s amendment (seconded by Councillor Brook) was an amendment to the original motion submitted by Councillor Wallace as set out on the agenda, prior to its alteration.
Councillor Weston’s amendment is set out as follows:
Changes in bold.
This Council resolves to:
1. Recognise this Council’s policy aim to lead by example to protect its rivers as far as possible from the cumulative impacts of pollution, including in line with its local planning policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. Be aware that there is evidence of deterioration of water quality due to the cumulative impact of nitrates, phosphates and multiple sewage discharge events, and seek to better understand the impact on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents.
3. Draw on relevant evidence that assesses the cumulative impact of pollution so that this is appropriately factored into the local plan, including the overall level of future development.
4. Ask the relevant committee to invite senior representatives from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, and Natural England to attend a meeting to allow for a better understanding of the current levels of pollution and remedial action being taken in this regard and publish its conclusions to inform local community action groups.
5. Ask Southern Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major developments, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage; whether it has the information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas, and if it does have this information to share it (noting that this can only be requested not required).
6. Request that planning assessments, from now onwards, include in all reports on major developments appropriate coverage of the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out.
7.Request that the Council lobbies the minister in charge of planning and our MPs to make sure there are the necessary changes in relevant legislation. This is to ensure that future planning assessments for development of any size in villages and communities that are not on mains drainage, are included in all reports with appropriate coverage and detail of sewage treatment, removal and surface water runoff and the impact on the specific watercourses that feed into them major rivers. This should include the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out and takes into account the impact of extended drought and flooding conditions on local environmental health.
Council then proceeded to ask questions, and then debate the amendment to the motion and it was noted that the changes proposed within the amendment would be applied to the altered version of the motion. Therefore, during debate, it was also acknowledged that if the amendment to the motion (as altered) was agreed as the substantive motion, then new resolution 7 (as set out above) would subsequently become resolution 9.
During debate, the mover of the amendment (Councillor Weston) proposed a minor change to resolution 7, which was unanimously supported.
Minor change as set out as follows:
Change in bold.
7. Request that the Council lobbies the minister in charge of planning and our MPs to make sure there are the necessary changes in relevant legislation. This is to ensure that future planning assessments for development of any size in villages and communities that are not on mains drainage, are included in all reports with appropriate coverage and detail of sewage treatment, removal and surface water runoff and the impact on the specific watercourses that feed into them major rivers. This should include the potential for the development to affect sewage and pollution outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out and takes into account the impact of extended drought and flooding conditions on local environmental health.
Council then proceeded to vote upon on the amendment to original motion as altered, which was unanimously supported and subsequently became the substantive motion. This was also unanimously supported.
RESOLVED:
This Council resolves to:
1. Recognise this Council’s policy aim to lead by example to protect the catchments of our rare and precious habitats, the Itchen, Meon, Test (Dever) and Hamble as far as possible from the cumulative impacts of pollution, including in line with its local planning policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. Be aware that there is evidence of deterioration of water quality from both private and statutory waste treatment systems due to the cumulative impact of nitrates, phosphates, micro-plastics, pharmaceuticals and multiple sewage discharge events, and seek to better understand the impact on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents.
3. Draw on relevant evidence that assesses the cumulative impact of pollution so that this is appropriately factored into the local plan, including the overall level of future development.
4. Ask the Health & Environment Policy Committee to invite senior representatives from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, Salmon & Trout Conservation, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Natural England to attend a meeting to allow for a better understanding of the current levels of pollution and remedial action being taken in this regard and publish its conclusions to inform local community action groups.
5. Ask Southern Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major developments, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage; whether it has the information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas, and if it does have this information to share it (noting that this can only be requested not required).
6. Request that planning assessments, from now onwards, include in all reports on major developments appropriate coverage of the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out.
7. Support the devolution of the Environment Agency power to impose fines on water companies for pollution of local watercourses to local authorities and asks the Leader to seek to achieve this alongside other authorities through a future County Deal or other means.
8. Ask the Leader and Cabinet to collaborate with other Local Authorities facing similar water quality problems in order to best understand how we can use our influence to reduce and mitigate the damage done to our watercourses.
9.Request that the Council lobbies the minister in charge of planning and our MPs to make sure there are the necessary changes in relevant legislation. This is to ensure that future planning assessments for development of any size in villages and communities that are not on mains drainage, are included in all reports with appropriate coverage and detail of sewage treatment, removal and surface water runoff and the impact on the specific watercourses that feed into them major rivers. This should include the potential for the development to affect sewage and pollution outflow into watercourses, so that this information is clearly and transparently set out and takes into account the impact of extended drought and flooding conditions on local environmental health.