Agenda item

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 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.”

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 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 and 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 and that the completed template is published so it is readily accessible to the public”.

 

Councillor Williams also proposed that the exemplars within the FORE transparency template be replaced with:

 

“Proforma page 1:

Site name: Replace Well Street CSO with Larkbeare House CSO

Permit reference: Replace 201371 with 201928

Waterbody name: Delete (Creedy to Estuary)

Waterbody Identifier: Replace GB 108045009040 with GB 510804505600”.

 

Councillor Read accepted the motion.

 

In presenting the motion, Councillor Read made the following points:

 

• she thanked Councillor R Williams for her amendment;
• rivers were being considered more like a public health hazard than a watery playground;
• she enjoyed swimming in the River Exe in the summer;
• Exeter had been recognised by the Academy of Urbanism in 2023 as a European City of the Year finalist because of the uniquely strong relationship with the physical natural setting of the city;
• Exmouth beach had been closed frequently due to sewage in the water;
• this government had made it a priority to clean up the rivers;
• the Secretary of State had advised that there were record levels of pollution;
• Surfers Against Sewage reported in 2024 that sewage had been dumped into the waterways for 4.7 million hours;
• the Friends of the River Exe (FORE) transparency template would help the public to understand where investment was happening in the sewage network; and
• this would give the public confidence that South West Water were being held accountable.

 

During debate Members made the following comments:

 

• it was unclear how this would be implemented and how South West Water would use the template;
• any action that held South West Water to account was good;
• this was a national matter;
• how much influence did Exeter City Council have over South West Water;
• this motion sat comfortably within the governments overall plans for the water industry; and
• the cross-party support for this motion was welcomed.

 

Councillor Banyard, as seconder, spoke in support of the motion, making the following comments:

 

• a clean river was not a luxury;
• wildlife was being put at risk due to damage to their ecosystems;
• river quality had been deemed a national priority by the government;
• the Environment Secretary pledged to halve sewage pollution by 2030;
• the transparency template would make it possible to cut through the jargon and excuses from South West Water; and
• Exeter City Council declared a climate emergency and as such, had an obligation to protect the river and hold South West Water accountable.

 

Councillor Atkinson spoke against the motion making the following points:

 

• she shared everyone’s concerns about the health of the River Exe;
• this was not the right forum for discussing and agreeing this;
• she was surprised there had been no dialogue with SWW before this motion; and
• this should be referred to the Strategic Scrutiny Committee.

 

The Leader stated that he would take this motion to the Devon Districts’ Forum meeting to be discussed with other districts. This was not an issue exclusive to Exeter and felt that this would be a constructive way to make this more substantial.

 

Councillor Atkinson proposed an amendment to the motion under Standing Order No.7, seconded by Councillor Wright in the following terms:

 

Proposed that the matter is deferred under standing order 7 and that it is referred to Strategic Scrutiny Committee.

 

During debate, Members made the following comments in relation to the amended motion:

 

Councillor Read spoke against the amendment, making the following points:

 

• South West Water could be invited to the Strategic Scrutiny Committee at any time;
• she did not feel it was necessary for the motion to be deferred to scrutiny if everyone was in favour of the original motion;
• there was currently no dialogue with South West Water, but inviting them to attend a Strategic Scrutiny Committee meeting would start dialogue;
• it could take months to be heard at scrutiny, and there was no purpose for the delay; and
• it was hard for the public to access the data from South West Water, and the original motion would make this easier.

 

Councillor Hughes:

• Councillor Read had given a good explanation of the value behind the original motion;
• sending the motion to scrutiny would take a very long time;
• the river was not being taken care of and South West Water (SWW) were not being held to account;
• this was not an appropriate thing to take to scrutiny again; and
• they were concerned about the level of power Exeter City Council would have in this discussion with SWW.

 

Councillor Wood:

 

• supported the motion as it was presented;
• the transparency template was a good tool;
• scrutiny has tools that are not available for full council meetings;
• a countywide standardised way for South West Water would be beneficial and scrutiny may be able to explore that;
• scrutiny had more tools, opportunities, and time;
• he was supportive of the original motion, but would rather it be sent to scrutiny.

 

Councillor Fullam:

 

• this motion was a request for transparency;
• he was adverse to taking this to scrutiny;
• he was supportive of what was said by the Leader regarding working collaboratively with other councils; and
• scrutiny was a limited resource, managed by the Scrutiny Programme Board.

 

Councillor M Mitchell:

• the collective voice of every council in Devon could possibly have some impact;
• he hoped that the Leader would take this motion to a Devon Districts’ Forum meeting to discuss;
• Exeter had to fit dynamically with other councils;
• he would like to see something that made a difference; and
• the Leader should report back from the Devon Districts’ Forum to the Strategic Scrutiny Committee.

 

Councillor Knott:

 

• he would vote against the amendment, but supported the original motion;
• he would be referring this to scrutiny;
• he would write to the Leader to encourage him to act as he said he would like to;
• it would be beneficial if Councillor M Mitchell could take this to Devon County Council; and
• a Devon wide cohesive approach would be best.

 

Councillor Harding:

 

• a compromise may be beneficial;
• it would be good idea to go to scrutiny, but did not know why they could vote for the original motion; and
• the template could provide useful information for the discussion at scrutiny.

 

Councillor R Williams:

 

• this had been a helpful discussion;
• sympathetic to the comments regarding what the council would be able to achieve;
• South Hams Council had invited senior management from the Pennon Group to their scrutiny committee to report on and answer questions about their plans for infrastructure improvement;
• if the motion was passed tonight it would show the Pennon Group that this was supported by more than just South Hams Council; and
• this should be taken to scrutiny, and the Leader should also take it to Devon Districts’ Forum.

 

 

Councillor Atkinson, in summing up the amendment made the following points:

 

• clarified that her amendment was not to reject the motion but to defer it;
• she liked to see all the facts before deciding;
• South West Water had already discussed their infrastructure plans with the council;
• South West Water were in a partnership with the University of Exeter at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREW);
• concerned that this was not Exeter focused enough, and wanted to make it more Exeter focused; and
• thought it would add more weight to work with CREW to monitor what is going on in the River Exe.

 

 

The amendment to the motion was WITHDRAWN by Councillor Atkinson.

 

An amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor Parkhouse, seconded by Councillor M Mitchell, in the following terms:

 

1. The Leader of the council should bring these issues to a Devon Districts’ meeting to discuss with other council leaders in Devon.
2. This issue is added to a future agenda item for the Strategic Scrutiny Committee to which South West Water would be invited.

 

 

In summing up, Councillor Read made the following points:

• this was sending a message;
• the more councils that did this, the better;
• rivers should be clean at every stage, from source to the sea; and
• this was aspiring to a new vision of how we see rivers in our country.

 

Following a unanimous vote, the motion was CARRIED as amended.