Skip to main content

Issue - meetings

River Quality/Sewage

Meeting: 27/02/2024 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 55)

River Quality/Sewage

Purpose

To receive a presentation on the work of the Council around river quality and sewage.

 

Recommendation

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 7 March.

 

Invited

Councillor Lisa Spivey, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Safety

Phil Martin, Assistant Director for Business Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee adjourned for ten minutes before continuing. 

 

The Assistant Director for Business Services introduced the item, highlighting the work that had been undertaken in the area, outlining the responsible organisations and their roles. The presentation was accompanied with a slide deck (included in the minute annex).

 

The Assistant Director also highlighted the recent successes in engaging with partners such as Thames Water and drew members’ attention to the upcoming sewage summit.

 

Members discussed the presentation, raising the following points;

  • The Assistant Director confirmed that the water working group was not a formal working group and therefore not politically proportional. Members suggested to the Cabinet Member that one should be set up, although some members noted that care should be taken to avoid derailing existing arrangements. Councillor David Fowles, having proposed this, committed to writing to the Cabinet Member detailing the proposed scope of the working group.
  • The Cabinet Member confirmed that the Sewage Summit would be open to residents and Town and Parish Councils.
  • Members highlighted that the presentation did not list everyone in attendance at the MP’s flooding meeting. The Assistant Director stated that the list was intended to provide a summary, as they were aware that many parties attended these.
  • Members also suggested that Council write to Severn Trent requesting an interactive flood map.

 

RESOLVED:

That the Committee:

  1. Noted the update
  2. Agreed to submit two recommendations to Cabinet:
    1. That the Council writes to Severn Trent requesting an interactive flooding map.
    2. That the Council forms a Rivers and sewage Working Group, considering the composition and scope through its terms of reference.

 

Voting record – For 6, Against 2, Abstentions 2