Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have called on government ministers to tax water companies responsible for over 750,000 sewage dumps over the last two years.

Last year the Environment Agency found that every river in England suffered from pollution.  All local rivers including the Beal, Irk, Medlock and Tame rivers failed the most recent chemical pollution tests carried out by the agency.

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader and Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “It’s despicable that the Conservative government has allowed these harmful sewage dumps to happen in the first place.  The very least a responsible government would do is to make these polluting companies pay for the clean-up.  This pollution has a lasting effect on eco-systems for aquatic, bird and insect life not to mention the effect on people who live by our watercourses, or who visit them for recreational reasons.”

“The Liberal Democrats successfully brought a motion to Oldham Council in November committing Oldham Borough to tackling river pollution.  But we need Ministers in London to stand up to the big water companies and others who ride roughshod over our local environment.  

“There are a number of things the government could choose to do to tackle pollution.  Restoring Environment Agency funding would be a start, but we need a Sewage Tax on companies that continually harm our rivers and waterways.  They aren’t going to stop unless the government makes it painful for them to continue.”   

Liberal Democrat ‘Save Our Rivers’ Motion

Passed by Oldham Council – 03/11/21

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 wastewater 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.