Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling for the UK Government to do more to improve the water quality of Britain’s rivers as one of their commitments at the upcoming COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.

Crompton Councillor Dave Murphy and Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021) highlighting the urgent need for action, after discovering that the borough’s watercourses all failed recent tests for chemical pollution carried out by the Environment Agency and that the rivers Irk and Tame are under real threat.

Proposer of the motion, Councillor Murphy said:  “It is shocking that in 2019 only 14% of England’s rivers were rated ‘good’ by the Environment Agency, despite Conservative Government promises to improve the quality of watercourses over time.  Poorer water quality has an adverse impact upon the aquatic, bird and insect life that inhabits our watercourses and the humans who visit them for recreational purposes.”

“The damage is caused by the run-off of nutrients from farms and raw sewerage discharged water companies, and the rivers Irk and Tame are cited as being particularly in danger, but government funding to enable the Environment Agency to monitor and check these activities has been cut by 75% in the last decade.”

Seconding the motion, Councillor Hazel Gloster added:  “Not only do we want the Environment Agency’s budget to be restored to enable it to effectively identify and prosecute offenders, but we want the National Farmers’ Union and United Utilities to account for the actions of those members and employees who engage in polluting activities and tell us what they are doing to make things right.”

Concluding Councillor Murphy said:  “The COP26 conference in Glasgow will focus the world’s attention on what the UK is doing, or is pledged to do, to address climate change and the impact of mankind’s activities on the natural world.  As one of those commitments, we want the UK Government to clean up Britain’s rivers so we can all continue to enjoy them”.

The motion to the Council on 3^rd November 2021 reads:

Motion – Save Our Rivers

This Council notes that:

• Every river in England is now polluted beyond legal limits; with the Environment Agency rating only 14% as Good in 2019.
• Our local rivers, the Beal, Irk, Medlock, and Tame all failed the most recent test for chemical pollution carried out by the agency.
• This chemical pollution is mostly caused by sewage discharges from water companies and the run-offs of nutrients from farms.
• The Rivers Irk and Tame are particularly threatened by further sewage-water discharges.
• Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality and regulate farms and water companies has dropped 75% since 2010/11.
• Farms are now almost never inspected, water quality is rarely tested, and water companies can pump raw sewage into rivers with virtual impunity.
• In addition, tyre rubber particles, metals from brake pads, and hydrocarbons from vehicle emissions, wash off road surfaces and into rivers, endangering wildlife and potentially introducing carcinogenic material into the water supply.

Council believes that, as host nation of COP-26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021, the UK Government should commit to:

• Restoring Environment Agency budgets
• Increasing inspections of water companies and farms, and rigorously prosecuting offenders.
• Funding local and highways authorities to introduce treatment systems to prevent road pollutants from entering our water courses.

Council resolves to request the Chief Executive write to:

• The Environment Minister calling for the Government to make these commitments as host nation of COP-26.
• The Chief Executive of United Utilities calling for further urgent action to address the impact of waste-water discharges on our local rivers, particularly the Irk and Tame.
• The Regional Director of the National Farmers’ Union requesting clarification on the action being taken locally by farmers to prevent the run-off of nutrients into our rivers.
• The charity River Action expressing this Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.

With our three MPs to be copied into this correspondence and asked for their support.

Proposed by:                                                                Seconded by:

Councillor Dave Murphy                                                Councillor Hazel Gloster