Issue - meetings

Motion: Rivers 2 and transparency template.

Proposer: Cllr Tess Read

Seconder: Cllr James Banyard

Councillor Read moved, and Councillor Banyard seconded a Notice of Motion in the following terms:

“This Council notes that:

Increasing dialogue and working with relevant stakeholders is the key to improving water quality to benefit all Exeter residents and wildlife.

This government has made improving river quality a key priority. The Environment Secretary MP Steve Reed has pledged that sewage pollution from water companies will be cut in half by the end of the decade. “The Government, in partnership with investors, has secured funding to rebuild the entire water network to clean up our rivers with a record of £104 billion being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and build new sewage treatment works cutting sewage pollution into rivers.”

In July 2019 Exeter declared a climate emergency, and this was strengthened in April 2021 by including biodiversity. The Exe Estuary has the highest protection status afforded to it and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area because it supports internationally important populations of birds. The Council has an obligation to protect its rivers and the City Council’s Harbour Board has, as one of its core values “We will lead on environmental stewardship of the Port.”

South Hams District Council recently voted unanimously to request SWW use the Friends of the River Dart’s “Transparency Template” to record all information regarding infrastructure upgrades so that progress to improved systems can be easily understood and communicated to the public. The Transparency Template is an easy to understand pro-forma which SWW is requested to complete to detail all of their pieces of infrastructure in the region, their capacity and method of filtration, and the timetable for upgrade. The FORE Transparency Template is attached, SWW completing this will enable the public to easily understand SWW’s planned investment in its infrastructure and so can track progress to better water quality.

This Council resolves that:

The Leader of the Council/Chief Executive write to the Chairman of the Pennon Group and request that SWW complete the FORE Transparency Template for each piece of their infrastructure in the Exe and her catchment.”

An amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor R Williams, seconded by Councillor Vizard, in the following terms:

This Council notes that:

Increasing dialogue and working with relevant stakeholders was the key to improving water quality to benefit all Exeter residents and wildlife.

This government has made improving river quality a key priority. The Environment Secretary MP Steve Reed has pledged that sewage pollution from water companies will be cut in half by the end of the decade. “The Government, in partnership with investors, has secured funding to rebuild the entire water network to clean up our rivers with a record £104 billion being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and build new sewage treatment works cutting sewage pollution into rivers.”

In July 2019 Exeter declared a climate emergency, and this was strengthened in April 2021 by including biodiversity. The Exe Estuary has the highest protection status afforded to it and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83