Liberal Democrats demand action on local polluted rivers

Lib Dem Cllrs Geoffrey Sell and Alan Dean were successful in getting Uttlesford District Council to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment and to Kemi Badenoch Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden, about the discharge of raw sewage into rivers and streams in Uttlesford.

Cllr Dean said:

“A growing population, Victorian infrastructure and an increase in extreme weather events has increased the pressure on our sewer system, bringing the frequency of discharges from Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) in the south of Uttlesford to unacceptable levels.  Latest Environment Agency figures show that in 2022 there were 50 discharges for over 700 hours into Pincey Brook from the Takeley WWTW, 17 discharges from the Stansted Mountfitchet WWTW the totalling 147 hours into the River Stort and 33 discharges totalling 268 hours from the Great Easton WWTW into the River Chelmer.”

Cllr Geoffrey Sell says:

“It is an absolute scandal that the Water and Sewage Companies are polluting our rivers so badly whilst at the same time paying out huge dividends to their shareholders.”

District Councillors agreed unanimously to call on the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Environment to strengthen the legislation in relation to sewage discharges. It also called for raw sewage discharges to be reduced by at least 50% by 2030.

Smita Rajesh Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for North West Essex visited Stansted WWTW with Cllrs Dean and Sell recently (picture attached). The plant currently has four storm tanks which are inadequate to prevent raw sewage discharge pollution. The works are due to be upgraded in 2025 by increasing the number of storm tanks from four to six.

Smita Rajesh said that “this level of pollution is unacceptable.  Why has the upgrading of these Waste Water Treatment Works taken so long?

I am saddened to see that Kemi Badenoch recently voted to block the Liberal Democrat proposal in the House of Commons, to allow people who fall sick due to illegal sewage dumping to claim compensation. Once again the Conservatives have chosen to stand with the water companies and let them off the hook.”

Picture  shows l to r Cllr Alan Dean, Smitha Rajesh & Cllr Geoffrey Sell at Stansted sewage works.