THE LIBERAL Democrats have called for a new protected status for local rivers and marine protected areas, after figures showed Severn Trent Water dumped sewage 294 times in Redditch in 2023.
The party has pledged to expand marine protected areas and introduce a new Blue Flag status for rivers, which would set legally-binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites.
Andrew Fieldsend-Roxborough, Liberal Democrat candidate for Redditch said: “Redditch and the surrounding villages’ precious rivers have been destroyed after years of a
“Conservative government letting water firms get away with environmental vandalism.
“It is time we got tough on polluting and profiteering water firms, yet Conservative MPs have stood by whilst swimmers have become ill and wildlife killed by sewage discharges.
“The Liberal Democrats will have the boldest manifesto on cleaning up our rivers and coastlines.
“Families should be free to swim safely in the knowledge that our waters are not polluted with sewage.”
Gareth Mead, River Ranger Manager at Severn Trent said: “While there are many factors that contribute to river health, we’re making progress in playing our part to reduce our impact on watercourses across Worcestershire.
“This includes investing millions of pounds improving our network to reduce spills from overflows and upgrading our treatment works, while working with local farmers to go even further to protect the water quality from agricultural run-off.
Rachel Maclean, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Redditch and the Villages, said: “Conservatives have increased monitoring of storm overflows in England from seven per cent to 100 per cent – more than any other nation in the UK, and that’s why there’s greater transparency when it comes to storm overflows.
“We are requiring the water regulator to incentivise water companies to invest to reduce the use of storm overflows – between 2020 and 2025, water companies will invest £7.1billion for environmental improvements in England, as well as £56billion through the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan over 25 years.”
Labour PPC Christ Bloore said: “Our plan will tackle failing water companies, and protect Britains holiday spots.
“Labour will put the water companies under special measures to clean up our waters.
“We have pledged to put failing water companies under tough special measures to force them to clean up their toxic mess and protect Redditch people’s health.”
