The Policy Research Officer for the Scrutiny
Committee gave a verbal report regarding the background to Motion
583 and what progress had been made since the motion was
passed.
Consideration was given to
- Run off from roads, sludge, grit and
oil running into leats.
- The compilation of an evidence base
assessing the cumulative impact – the authority are in a
challenging position in that MDDC do not have any formal remit or
requirement in terms of recording this information or skills and
expertise to analyse the data and the information they receive.
MDDC do analyse the potable water supplies, but in terms of
collation of information, digestion and understanding that
information, MDDC haven’t undertaken that because they do not
have the resource or skill set. However, MDDC would be looking at
it through the new Local Plan and would procure some specialist
resource and skill in terms of undertaking a Water Cycle strategy,
in the hope that that would give the council the capability and the
capacity to work with South West Water and the Environment Agency,
in order to give us an insight into the network as it exists, the
shortfalls or failings that currently exist and the steps that MDDC
through planned maintenance or future development can take in order
to address this issue at source. The work will take place as MDDC
progress the new Local Plan but in terms of what we can do at
present we are extremely limited.
- The Director of Place had not yet
heard anything back from SWWA about the Consultation relating to
drainage and wastewater management plans, but he is seeking from
SWW whether there is a summary report which he will request to
see.
- Invite Environment Agency and
Natural England to appear before this Scrutiny committee
- The Cabinet have oversight of the
Emergency Plan Policy alongside the Community PDG
- OFWAT’s unwillingness to
help
- Water Companies’ increases to
Service Charges
- Inviting SWWA back to the Scrutiny
Committee
- The Voracity and Integrity of Data
supplied by SWWA is questionable
- Phosphates and Nitrates breakdown of
lump sizes – marker for sewage – the Bacterial count
also is helpful as a marker.
- Would it be possible to get data
about discharges at a Ward level so that Councillors could see what
was happening at a local level against local anecdotal information
- Friends of the River Exe had
produced a report working with communities and NGO’s about
the Pollution of the River Exe and it was encouraged that MDDC
collaborate with the West Country Rivers Trust so that we can hone
better our questions for South West Water Authority
- Employment of a Specialist
- Suggestion that MDDC works with the
Friends of the River Exe
- In Planning Applications – if
SWWA are asked if there are connections, they answer yes, even
though they know that that development would be likely to cause
storm overflows.
- Environment Agency Enforcement
– they only have 0.8 of an Enforcement Officer across the
whole of Devon and Cornwall meaning that offenders thought it
unlikely that any action would be taken against them
- Floodwise, a scheme of the Environment Agency, set
up to work in Partnership with local agencies and are passionate
about people working together in partnership
- Unhappiness with the tangibility of
answers the SWWA had given the last time that they were before this
committee.
- West Country Rivers Trust
- Difficulties with getting hold of
anyone from the Environment Agency or Southwest Water to ask
questions about important casework.
The Director of Place said that he would look
to join this work up across the various agencies and other
authorities and look to learn from best practice.
The Chairman said that we should encourage
both agencies to make themselves available to the Scrutiny
Committee. The Chairman also thought that MP’s across Devon
should put together a motion to Parliament calling on the
Government to put more money into the Environment Agency to fully
fund Environmental Enforcement across Devon, or to ask the Chairman
of the Environment agency to look at this matter himself.
There was agreement that this matter should
come back to the Scrutiny Committee in four month’s time.