Calls for end of sewage being pumped into the River Chelt
The council wants a sewage tax to be introduced to water firms
Civic leaders in Cheltenham have raised serious concerns that children are playing in waterways polluted with sewage. Cheltenham Borough Council is calling on the Government to stop the water companies from pumping sewage into the River Chelt.
The council wants a sewage tax to be imposed on water firms to encourage them to end the practice of dumping sewage in waterways. And councillors backed a motion on Monday (March 21) to write to Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk asking for him to support the introduction of such a tax.
The council also wants the MP to explain why the Government’s Environment Bill does not set firm targets for an end to the dumping of sewage in rivers, including the River Chelt.
Cabinet member for climate emergency Max Wilkinson, who put forward the motion, said: “It should be a concern to all of us as it’s happening in our area with sewage being discharged into the Chelt.”
“By writing to our MP, who is a member of the Government, we can ask appropriate questions about how we got into this position while seeking to influence future Government policy and perhaps prevent future mistakes from being made.
“This might prompt a future in which there is actually a policy in which we have a clear set of targets to stop sewage being dumped in our rivers.”
Cllr David Willingham, who seconded the motion, said the discharge of sewage into rivers is 'disgusting' and needs to be stopped. He said one of the combined sewer outfalls that pollutes the river Chelt is just upstream of St Peter’s Park where children and dogs play in the water.
Conservative group leader Cllr Tim Harman said everyone wants to see the end of dumping on local waterways. “As things stand, we can’t vote for the motion but we can vote for the objective if you would put that forward in a more rational way.”