North East Lincolnshire Councillors back petition to improve water quality
More than 1000 people have signed the campaign
Councillors have backed a petition calling for urgent improvements to water quality in North East Lincolnshire, following widespread concerns about pollution.
More than 1,000 people signed the petition calling on the authority to take five steps towards forcing improvements to river and sea waters.
At at a meeting last week, the petition – organised by the local Lib Dems – won cross-party support. It means that the authority will make strategic decisions with water quality in mind, alongside other measures.
Water companies are allowed to release untreated raw sewage into waterways when in danger of exceeding capacity, usually after heavy rainfall. Earlier this month, the latest pollution alert was issued for Cleethorpes, when people were advised against swimming due to the release of untreated sewage.
Councillors agreed that the authority should use its natural assets and local plans to support river and coastal recovery. An online portal is also due to be created to keep people aware of efforts to improve water quality.
Other actions agreed included working, where possible, with Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, Grimsby and Cleethorpes MPs and other agencies, in order to combat threats to the quality of water locally.
Cllr Nicola Aisthorpe, the Lib Dem group leader, told the meeting that, during 2021, the equivalent of 2,394 hours of raw untreated sewage had been spilled in North East Lincolnshire. This showed that “the gravity of this issue cannot be underestimated”.
In this year alone, there had been 19 pollution safety alerts advising against swimming in the water at Cleethorpes beach, she added.
“Mr Mayor, I invite you to take a moment to imagine the serenity of pristine river winding through our community,” said Cllr Aisthorpe. “Picture the dancing sunlight on its surface, the vibrant life it sustains, the glistening beauty as clean as the water in this bottle.
“Now, picture that same river tainted and polluted, suffering from the consequences of regular untreated sewage dumping. This water is not just a distant scenario, this is a pressing reality that we must confront today.”
Sewage dumping affected the health and wellbeing of residents and compromised the tourism and economy of the area, Cllr Aisthorpe said. The council did not have the power over national regulations, but she argued that it could still push for stronger measures and make certain it was not adding to the problem through its own actions.
Cllr Philip Jackson, the authority’s leader, said he was supportive of all five actions called for. He had already met with Anglian Water and suggested that the council should write to Yorkshire Water, the utilities company responsible for sewage discharges further upstream of the Humber.
Cllr Lyndsey Downes, an independent member, stressed the importance of protecting the River Freshney, “one of only 200 chalk streams”.
Cllr Karl Wilson, the Labour group’s deputy leader, supported the petition, but asked why other parties had failed to back a Labour “The state of emergency may not have been declared 10 months ago, but we can declare a state of unity today.”
So it proved, with the motion carried unanimously.