Agenda item

Motions

Decision:

 

RESOLVED:

That Full Council agreed to:-

 

a.

write to Philip Dunne MP to express support for his bill, and ask him to add a requirement for biological or nature-based treatments to be installed by water authorities as a matter of urgency;

 

 

b.

request our local MPs in writing to support the bill, and press for its urgent advance to second reading, adoption as a government bill, and add the above treatment requirements;

 

 

c.

advisethe appropriate person at Defra of Somerset’s phosphates issue as an indicator of the consequences of failing to take the necessary action to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

 

Reason:

To express the Council’s deep concern about recent and continuing long delays in consideration of most residential planning applications as a result of Natural England’s requirement of the Council to carry out greater scrutiny of the effects of plans or projects that are likely to increase discharge of nutrients and hence phosphate loads to unacceptable levels at internationally important sites, i.e. Ramsar Convention wetland sites within the Somerset Levels and Moors.

(Voting: 50 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions)

 

Minutes:

Phosphates Requirement by Natural England

 

Councillor Mike Stanton proposed his Motion to Council.  He said that both Members, officers and developers were exasperated by the phosphates situation.  The phosphates passing through the water treatment system caused algal bloom in the water on the Levels and so Wessex Water, developers and the Government needed to act.  Wessex Water could install chemical separators and chemical treatment works in all their Somerset sewage farms more quickly.  The developers could build phosphate removal into their sites or put some phosphate mitigation in place.  The Government should support and adopt Phillip Dunne MP’s private members bill onThe Sewage (Inland Waters) with a requirement for phosphate removal to be added to it. 

 

The Motion was seconded by Councillor Oliver Patrick.

 

During discussion, the following points were made:-

 

·         Rebecca Pow, MP for Taunton Deane, wasParliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was currently investigating the overspill of raw sewage from flooded sewage treatment works in Somerset.  A letter requesting her support should be written.

·         There was a huge amount of phosphate in household items like toothpaste and dishwasher tablets and detergents.  It could be chemically removed at sewage treatment works.

·         The phosphate issue had been known about for some time and the Government had not acted on it. They should pressure the Water Authorities to act. 

·         Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, was the Chair of theEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and he could be supportive in this issue.

·         Wessex Water had a five-year infrastructure plan but were not proposing to change it to address the phosphate issue sooner.

·         Wessex Water had a statutory obligation to supply water services but they should also ensure raw sewage was treated so it did not damage the environment.

·         Two thirds of river phosphates came from human waste. Washing and dishwashing detergents made 16%.  Toothpaste was only 1%.  So people and sewage treatment were the most important factors.

 

Councillor Mike Stanton concluded by thanking Members for their support on what was a very serious issue for the district.

 

At the conclusion of the debate, a recorded vote was taken and the Motion was agreed by 50 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions.

 

RESOLVED:

That Full Council agreed to:-

 

a.

write to Philip Dunne MP to express support for his bill, and ask him to add a requirement for biological or nature-based treatments to be installed by water authorities as a matter of urgency;

 

 

b.

request our local MPs in writing to support the bill, and press for its urgent advance to second reading, adoption as a government bill, and add the above treatment requirements;

 

 

c.

advisethe appropriate person at Defra of Somerset’s phosphates issue as an indicator of the consequences of failing to take the necessary action to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

 

Reason:

To express the Council’s deep concern about recent and continuing long delays in consideration of most residential planning applications as a result of Natural England’s requirement of the Council to carry out greater scrutiny of the effects of plans or projects that are likely to increase discharge of nutrients and hence phosphate loads to unacceptable levels at internationally important sites, i.e. Ramsar Convention wetland sites within the Somerset Levels and Moors.

(Voting: 50 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions)

 

Supporting documents: