Shropshire councillors to call for rules to protect water quality

Councillors say new planning rules should be introduced to prevent putting more pressure on local sewage capacity, leading to an increase in sewage being dumped into watercourses.

A motion put forward by Shropshire Council’s Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat groups on the issue will be debated at a full council meeting on Thursday.

The motion, put forward by Green councillor Julian Dean, says the council has an obligation to protect the county’s rivers and watercourses.

It says: “Residents are deeply concerned about water quality and the impact of regular waste-water discharge, which includes untreated sewage, into our rivers, and the impact this has on wildlife and on human health.

“Releasing sewage into rivers is no longer an emergency-only situation occurring as a result of severe storms, but a regular occurrence even in ‘normal’ rainfall.

“We are in a situation of cumulative overload on the sewage and waste-water system.

“Whilst there are long-term commitments, there are no plans in place which will address the immediate unacceptable situation either locally by Severn Trent Water or Wales Water or by national Government.”

The motion calls for the council to compile an ‘evidence base’ assessing the cumulative impact of sewage discharges which can be factored into future planning policies, and for a scrutiny committee to review and challenge Severn Trent Water on how it plans to invest in and upgrade local infrastructure.

Severn Trent will be asked to provide more information on sewage management when consulted on future developments, and council planning officers assessing applications for major developments would be asked to include specific sections in their reports on the impact of the plans on watercourses.

Conditions could also be added to planning approvals, preventing occupation of new developments until specified infrastructure improvements – including sewage upgrades – are completed.

The motion will be debated at a meeting of the full council next Thursday.

Meanwhile, a separate motion will goes before Shrewsbury Town Council on Monday night, calling on the council to set up a river quality working group.

It comes after a packed-out meeting hosted by the town council last month to discuss river quality was attended by campaigners, politicians, experts and concerned residents.

Councillor Kate Halliday, who will present the motion, said: “Residents at the meeting discussed their alarm at the polluted state of the river.

“It is clear that Severn Trent Water, the Environment Agency and Government are failing to deal with the issue of river pollution at the speed at which Shrewsbury residents would like.”

Councillor Halliday’s motion says the working group should “make representations, lobby and bring pressure to bear on Shropshire Council, the Environment Agency, Government departments, water companies, and other agencies so as to draw attention to the problems of poor water quality, the crucial need for significant improvement and press for remedial actions”.