Residents of our district are deeply concerned about water quality and the impact ofregular wastewater discharge, which includes untreated sewage, into our local rivers and seas and the impact on wildlife and on human health.
Last year, we know that there were 288 sewage storm overflow spills into Babergh District’s rivers, including the Stour, for a total duration of 1,861 hours (more than a fifth of the year). The Stour is widely used for swimming, boating and fishing.
As the district’s population rises with new housing, 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.
Anglian Water is a statutory consultee to major planning applications but its response relates to whether it has capacity in the sewage network, rather than whether it has treatment capacity. We believe Anglian Water needs to be encouraged to consider its sewage treatment capacity in the light of rising numbers of homes and businesses in the district.
Motion
This Council resolves to:
1. Ask the chair of the scrutiny committee to invite senior officers of Anglian Water plus senior representatives from the Environment Agency and Natural England to attend a meeting to answer questions on the current levels of sewage discharge.
2. Ensure that in gathering evidence for future iterations of the local plan the council consider the cumulative impact of sewage when deciding the overall level of housing and other development. The council notes that decisions about allocations in the Joint Local Plan will be guided by an updated Water Cycle Study. This should take into account the impact of combined sewer overflow spills on water courses.
3. Ask Anglian Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major development, 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).
4. Request that planning officers, from now onwards, include in all reports relating to major development a specific section on the impacton watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses (i.e. cumulative impact), or to flag if this information is not fully available, so that this information (or the lack of it) is clearly and transparently set out.
Proposer: Cllr Robert Lindsay
Seconder: Cllr John Ward
Minutes:
45.1 The Chair invited Councillor Lindsay to introduce and PROPOSE his Motion as detailed in the agenda.
45.2 Councillor Lindsay elaborated on his Motion.
45.3 Councillor Ward SECONDED the Motion conveying concern towards to the significant discharges and causes behind it, encouraging Anglian Water to rectify the situation and reduce discharges.
45.4 Councillor McCraw began the debate by referencing the work of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Flood Management Sub-Committee paralleling the motion, noting that Anglian Water discharges untreated and semi-treated sewage, as well as extracting river water for their supply and requested the Council to prompt additional bodies of authority.
45.5 Councillors debated the definition ‘major development’ within the Motion and while an amendment for ’15 or more’ was initially accepted, it was reverted to the original Motion to retain consistency with the definition as defined by the governmental National Planning Policy Framework.
45.6 Councillor Hurren endorsed the Motion and questioned whether the Motion should be directed at a different body (Ofwat).
46.7 Councillor Davis endorsed the Motion and questioned whether information about the destination of sewage water could be included in planning meetings to Anglian Water.
46.8 Councillor Hinton endorsed the Motion, commenting that water authorities use of extreme measures was currently a normal operation.
46.9 Councillor Arthey endorsed the Motion but tempered expectations that it would lead to significant change.
46.10 Councillor Malvisi endorsed the Motion, noting the adverse effect polluted water has to tourism, the below standard of waterways, the health risks to children, and agreeing to a multifaceted approach; to lobby MPs and use the media if necessary.
46.11 By a unanimous vote, the Motion was CARRIED.
It was RESOLVED:-
This Council resolves to:
1. Ask the chair of the scrutiny committee to invite senior officers of Anglian Water plus senior representatives from the Environment Agency and Natural England to attend a meeting to answer questions on the current levels of sewage discharge.
2. Ensure that in gathering evidence for future iterations of the local plan, the council consider the cumulative impact of sewage when deciding the overall level of housing and other development. The council notes that decisions about allocations in the Joint Local Plan will be guided by an updated Water Cycle Study. This should take into account the impact of combined sewer overflow spills on water courses.
3. Ask Anglian Water, from this date onwards, in its planning consultation responses for major development, 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).
4. Request that planning officers, from now onwards, include in all reports relating to major development a specific section on the impacton watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses (i.e. cumulative impact), or to flag if this information is not fully available, so that this information (or the lack of it) is clearly and transparently set out.