Latest news with #SouthernWater
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Fly contamination' concerns over housing plans in Uckfield
Councillors have supported the next stage of a major housing development in East Sussex, despite concerns of "fly contamination".On Thursday, Wealden District Council's planning committee agreed on the next steps for the Ridgewood Farm project, which is a major mixed-used development on the west edge of two applications had sought planning permission to build both 750 new homes and an industrial unit providing 1,884 sqm of floor space, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).Southern Water told the BBC it was investigating into reports of fly contamination, which has been linked to a treatment work near the development. The proposals followed on from an outline scheme approved in 2016, which secured planning permission to build up to 1,000 new homes on the overall site, and a new primary school and retail, community and leisure both applications were eventually approved by the committee, Uckfield ward councillors Donna French and Ben Reed said there were some "unresolved issues"."Uckfield Town Council and myself are not trying to stop this application, we are just seeking to help deliver the best possible development for this site," Ms French LDRS reported her concerns included the potential impact on an area of ancient woodland and a protected oak tree, parking and existing issues of swarming flies linked to Southern Water treatment works on the northern edge of the French concluded by calling the committee to defer the application. 'Swarming with flies' Conservative councillor Neil Cleaver said: "We have a fly population in Uckfield which is swarming. "People are going to buy these houses. They are going to be sitting in their gardens or sitting in their houses with their windows shut, because they can't open them swarming with added he "could not support" the application and the council should take steps to address the "unresolved issues" raised by ward councillors. He said the council's deputy leader, Rachel Millward, should meet Southern Water to discuss ways of mitigating the "fly contamination". Proposing approval for the housing application, Labour councillor Daniel Manvell said: "There are numerous things in [the outline permission] I wouldn't be happy with."Only 15% affordable housing is atrocious, given we deliver 35% on most sites these days - and all of that really speaks to previous iterations of this council not getting a local plan sorted."Residents have been waiting for homes on these sites for years and I don't think it would be responsible to defer this yet again."The housing element of the proposal is expected to comprise 50 one-bed, 136 two-bed, 321 three-bed, 211 four-bed and 32 five-bed units. Of these, 15% would be allocated to affordable is set to be delivered by the developers Redrow Homes and Places for People.
eNCA
2 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
UK water pollution alarms summer bathers
AFP | Ben STANSALL Pensioner Chris Stanley became so incensed by water companies dumping wastewater into the sea near his home that four years ago he stopped paying his bills. To his dismay things have not improved. "They released sewage water last week on Friday, (and) Sunday night, and on Monday the beach was declared not safe for swimming," said Stanley, 82, a regular swimmer, whose home overlooks the sea from the southeastern town of Whitstable. The Southern Water company, which supplies water to 2.6 million people, is allowed to release excess wastewater into the sea when the network is saturated such as during heavy rains. But the situation has become so exasperating that in 2021 Stanley refused to pay part of his water bill relating to sewage treatment. Last month a court ordered that Stanley must pay what he owes. AFP | Ben STANSALL "The judge ruled that water companies have the right to claim the money even if they don't do it properly," he said wryly. Many Britons have been increasingly alarmed by the water companies' failures and their lack of investment, with some customers launching a national campaign named "Boycott Water Bills". Last year, a record 3.6 million hours of sewage discharges were registered in England, according to the government's Environment Agency. Serious pollution contamination incidents also rose by 60 percent in a year, the agency said. According to an investigation by environmental watchdogs Unearthed and DeSmog, 10,000 water quality tests had to be abandoned between May and July due to a lack of staff at the Environment Agency. - System overhaul - Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's centre-left government on Monday announced plans to overhaul the water regulation system after a scathing report by the Independent Water Commission. It slammed private companies and authorities in England and Wales for failing to regulate the water sector. AFP | Ben STANSALL "Our water industry is broken," Environment Secretary Steve Reed said. The government will now abolish the much-maligned regulator Ofwat after the commission report, dubbed the most comprehensive review of the sector since its privatisation in the late 1980s. On Wednesday, the first day of the school holidays, a few families were playing in the sunshine enjoying Tankerton's pebble beach on the Kent coast, lined with colourful beach huts. Near a Southern Water treatment station, where a long pipe travels under the beach into the sea to release wastewater, some holidaymakers were even bathing. The water company had dumped polluted water into the sea for six hours the day before, but swimming was still permitted. AFP | Ben STANSALL Yoga instructor Lisa Lawton from London was enjoying a week's holiday in Whitstable with her two daughters. "They were released last night? I was not aware. I just wanted to go for a swim," Lawton, 41, told AFP, referring to the discharges. Another mum, Emily Winstone, 42, said: "When we used to come here as children, you didn't ever think about it." "But now it's every time you come to the beach, it's the first thing you think of. Can we go in the water?" she said. - Renationalisation - The charity Surfers Against Sewage has created a phone app that indicates the water quality on UK beaches. Last year, they received 1,850 reports of people falling ill after swimming in the sea. Elane Heffernan, who volunteers with the campaigning group SOS Whitstable, became sick after bathing close to sewage spillages in 2021. That year, the town's oyster farm shut down and Southern Water was fined 90 million pounds ($121 million) for admitting to 7,000 illegal discharges between 2010 and 2015. AFP | Ben STANSALL Since then, Heffernan has advocated for the renationalisation of the water industry, and a petition launched by SOS Whitstable was signed by more than 280,000 people. "We have now had more than enough evidence over 30 years to know it (privatisation) doesn't work. It can't work. It's never going to work," said Heffernan, adding private companies prioritised profit over long-term investments. A spokesperson for Southern Water told AFP the discharges "are not acceptable and we have a £1.5 billion plan (by 2035) to drastically cut their use by using innovative nature-based and engineering solutions which keep rainwater out of our sewers". They added that the company had also invested 965 million pounds last year. But according to the National Audit Office, the entire water sector needs some £290 billion in investment over the next 25 years. By Marie Heuclin
France 24
12 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
UK water pollution alarms summer bathers
To his dismay things have not improved. "They released sewage water last week on Friday, (and) Sunday night, and on Monday the beach was declared not safe for swimming," said Stanley, 82, a regular swimmer, whose home overlooks the sea from the southeastern town of Whitstable. The Southern Water company, which supplies water to 2.6 million people, is allowed to release excess wastewater into the sea when the network is saturated such as during heavy rains. But the situation has become so exasperating that in 2021 Stanley refused to pay part of his water bill relating to sewage treatment. Last month a court ordered that Stanley must pay what he owes. "The judge ruled that water companies have the right to claim the money even if they don't do it properly," he said wryly. Many Britons have been increasingly alarmed by the water companies' failures and their lack of investment, with some customers launching a national campaign named "Boycott Water Bills". Last year, a record 3.6 million hours of sewage discharges were registered in England, according to the government's Environment Agency. Serious pollution contamination incidents also rose by 60 percent in a year, the agency said. According to an investigation by environmental watchdogs Unearthed and DeSmog, 10,000 water quality tests had to be abandoned between May and July due to a lack of staff at the Environment Agency. System overhaul Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's centre-left government on Monday announced plans to overhaul the water regulation system after a scathing report by the Independent Water Commission. It slammed private companies and authorities in England and Wales for failing to regulate the water sector. "Our water industry is broken," Environment Secretary Steve Reed said. The government will now abolish the much-maligned regulator Ofwat after the commission report, dubbed the most comprehensive review of the sector since its privatisation in the late 1980s. On Wednesday, the first day of the school holidays, a few families were playing in the sunshine enjoying Tankerton's pebble beach on the Kent coast, lined with colourful beach huts. Near a Southern Water treatment station, where a long pipe travels under the beach into the sea to release wastewater, some holidaymakers were even bathing. The water company had dumped polluted water into the sea for six hours the day before, but swimming was still permitted. Yoga instructor Lisa Lawton from London was enjoying a week's holiday in Whitstable with her two daughters. "They were released last night? I was not aware. I just wanted to go for a swim," Lawton, 41, told AFP, referring to the discharges. Another mum, Emily Winstone, 42, said: "When we used to come here as children, you didn't ever think about it." "But now it's every time you come to the beach, it's the first thing you think of. Can we go in the water?" she said. Renationalisation The charity Surfers Against Sewage has created a phone app that indicates the water quality on UK beaches. Last year, they received 1,850 reports of people falling ill after swimming in the sea. Elane Heffernan, who volunteers with the campaigning group SOS Whitstable, became sick after bathing close to sewage spillages in 2021. That year, the town's oyster farm shut down and Southern Water was fined 90 million pounds ($121 million) for admitting to 7,000 illegal discharges between 2010 and 2015. Since then, Heffernan has advocated for the renationalisation of the water industry, and a petition launched by SOS Whitstable was signed by more than 280,000 people. "We have now had more than enough evidence over 30 years to know it (privatisation) doesn't work. It can't work. It's never going to work," said Heffernan, adding private companies prioritised profit over long-term investments. A spokesperson for Southern Water told AFP the discharges "are not acceptable and we have a £1.5 billion plan (by 2035) to drastically cut their use by using innovative nature-based and engineering solutions which keep rainwater out of our sewers". They added that the company had also invested 965 million pounds last year.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Poor water quality and sewage at Deal's beach cause concerns
An reading for bathing water in a Kent coastal town has led a charity to warn that a "miracle" is needed to hold its Boxing Day Dip this Rotary Club president Edward Barkway told the BBC the new recording taken this month at Deal Castle was 2.5 half times higher than last year's Barkway said this was a "death blow" for their event, which would normally raise about £10,000 for local charities. Southern Water said it was "working hard to play their part in protecting and enhancing water quality". Jamie Pout, leader of the Independent Group at Dover District Council, said he had written to both the environment secretary, Steve Reed, and MP for Dover and Deal, Mike Tapp, calling for urgent latest reading was taken on the 7 July which recorded 9,900 colonies per 100ml of water, compared to the highest reading in 2024 which was 3,900 colonies per Pout said: "Why are things getting worse? Whoever took that reading must have been forced to wade through actual human waste. This new reading is maddening."Speaking about the impact to the local economy, he added: "Local shops, pubs, restaurants need answers to why sewage is being dumped in the sea." A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: "The government has put down the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. "Ofwat, the failed water regulator will be abolished, and we will establish a new, single, powerful regulator to clean up our waterways for good."Sarah Waite from Save our Seas Deal and Walmer said: "Our hopes of things getting better have been dashed by this new data." The local campaign group added they were working to set up a "day of action" in the town following recent data on water quality. 'Deal a no-go town' Mr Barkaway added the Boxing Day Dip had to be cancelled last year due to poor water quality. "So many local community and businesses benefit from the event, so to have to cancel it again would effectively brand Deal as a no-go holiday town."A Southern Water spokesperson said there were "many contributing factors" impacting water quality. "This includes industrial, agricultural and highway run-off, and it is vital all partners come together to protect the environment," they added."In Kent, our teams continue to work with partners including the Environment Agency, Kent County Council and Dover District Council to understand the issues affecting water quality and to find and fix problems as quickly as possible."
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Water industry may be added to list of sensitive business sectors, says minister
It comes amid an overhaul of regulation for the troubled sector and as firms including Thames Water and Southern Water face financial woes. Communications, energy and data infrastructure are among the 17 sectors that must notify the investment security unit of certain business deals since the list was created in 2021. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden has asked for businesses' views on extending this requirement to the water sector. It is not expected to affect large numbers of deals but reflects 'increasing risks to the sector's resilience in a growing threat landscape', the Cabinet Office said. 'Data shows our investment security powers are working well, but there's more we can do to ensure our tool kit keeps pace with the modern economy,' Mr McFadden said. 'We're taking action to hone the type of transactions facing the greatest scrutiny, as well as consulting on updates to the sectors of the economy specified in the legislation.' Thames Water is battling to secure funding to shore up its creaking finances and stave off temporary nationalisation by the Government. Southern Water asked its owner, Australian investment firm Macquarie, for an extra £2.1 billion earlier this month to help boost its struggling finances. Making semiconductors and critical minerals into their own standalone categories and moving computing hardware to fall under semiconductors is also being proposed. Mr McFadden also said he planned to remove some requirements that are 'very unlikely to present risk'. Businesses will no longer need to notify the unit of certain internal reorganisations or when appointing liquidators, special administrators and official receivers. Secondary legislation would be brought to Parliament to put these changes in place.
