LABOUR Group Amendment
Southern Water
That the relevant changes are made
to the recommendations as shown below in strikethrough
and bold italics:
Council notes:
1. Outrage across the city is growing at the fact that, nationally, raw sewage continues being dumped into our seas by water companies such as Southern Water;
2. Residents are rightly
understandably concerned that the city’s sea,
waterways and water supplies are unsafe to use because
and raw sewage can be damaging to natural
habitats and the environment;
3. However Brighton and Hove has one of the best storm water facilities in the UK which includes a tunnel constructed under Brighton and Hove beach dedicated to store heavy storm flows which is three miles long and large enough to drive a double decker bus from Volks Railway station to Hove Lawns.
4. Southern Water was
privatised in 1989, which subjects vital supplies of water to
market pressures in order to generate profit for
shareholders; Notwithstanding the storm
overflow there is concern about outflows at Shoreham and Saltdean
in particular.
4. The combination of defunding,
deregulation and privatisation that is obliterating services across
our country and allowing water companies to dump sewage with
relative impunity;
5. Robust regulation of water companies is
essential to prevent raw sewage dumping and require
transformational investment in our water infrastructure, creating
the conditions in which community and not-for-profit ownership can
ultimately be achieved; Public ownership of water is
an essential step to fix this systemic problem as it would ensure
that water companies’ purpose is to deliver clean water to
residents, rather than profits to shareholders
6. The excellent progress
the new Administration has made in negotiating with Southern Water
which has resulted in them agreeing to fund year-round testing of
our sea-water and to design and fund the creation of more water
fountains in the City’s parks. Following the work
of campaign groups such as Surfers against Sewage and the previous
administration, the city needs accountability and compensation from
Southern Water to the city.
This council resolves to:
7. Request the Council to continue
the previous administration’s effort to secure and implement
a commitment for Southern Water to pay for compensation to the city
in the form of paying for the city’s public toilet service,
or another appropriate equivalent compensation
Support the
Administration’s efforts to secure year-round, weekly testing
of our sea water as well as reactive testing if unusual outflows
are suspected;
8. Call on every party standing in
the next General Election to commit bringing water companies into
public ownership.
Proposed by: Cllr Rowkins Seconded by: Cllr Fowler
Recommendations to read if carried:
Council notes:
1. Outrage across the city is growing at the fact that, nationally, raw sewage continues being dumped into our seas by water companies such as Southern Water;
2. Residents are understandably concerned that the city’s sea, waterways and water supplies are unsafe to use because raw sewage can be damaging to natural habitats and the environment;
3. However Brighton and Hove has one of the best storm water facilities in the UK which includes a tunnel constructed under Brighton and Hove beach dedicated to store heavy storm flows which is three miles long and large enough to drive a double decker bus from Volks Railway station to Hove Lawns;
4. Notwithstanding the storm overflow there is concern about outflows at Shoreham and Saltdean in particular;
5. Robust regulation of water companies is essential to prevent raw sewage dumping and require transformational investment in our water infrastructure, creating the conditions in which community and not-for-profit ownership can ultimately be achieved;
6. The excellent progress the new Administration has made in negotiating with Southern Water which has resulted in them agreeing to fund year-round testing of our sea-water and to design and fund the creation of more water fountains in the City’s parks.
This council resolves to:
7. Support the Administration’s efforts to secure year-round, weekly testing of our sea water as well as reactive testing if unusual outflows are suspected.