The Isle of Wight’s MP has welcomed the Government’s new water strategy which details more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement on those who pollute.
The new plan tackles every source of pollution, including from storm overflows, agriculture, plastics, road run-off and chemicals – as well as the pressures on our water resources as a result of hotter, drier summers and population growth.
Under the plan, fines from water companies will be reinvested into a new Water Restoration Fund, which will be used to support local groups and catchment projects. The plan will also make sure water companies speed up their infrastructure upgrades – bringing forward £1.6billion for work to start between now and 2025. Farmers will also be supported with an extra £34million to tackle water pollution and boost food production, with an additional £10million for farm reservoirs and irrigation.
Bob Seely MP has said:
“As a swimmer I hate the idea of polluted rivers, beaches and seas in and around the Island. We know that water firms need to undergo a sea change in behaviour. This government is ensuring that they do so.
“In 2021, the Government brought in the Environment Act, enforcing much higher standards for environmental protection and higher standards for water firms. Specifically, there is now a national plan for storm overflows into rivers, beaches and seas, and a national Integrated Plan for Water, announced today, to clean up water supply for future generations.”
Seely adds:
“As the Island’s Member of Parliament, I persuaded Southern Water to make the Isle of Wight an example of best practice, nationally. This means prioritising the Island both for funding and for projects to significantly reduce the amount of water entering the sewers during storms.
Article continues below this advertisement “Millions of pounds – with millions more in the pipeline – has been committed to schemes big and small, including £13.5 million for Sandown Water Works, £2.5 million for work at Knighton, £5 million for Carisbrooke and over £7 million for works in Cowes, Newport and Brading.
“In total, Southern Water will, on current figures, invest over £60 million pounds in a series of projects across the Island, with more money expected to be pledged in the coming months and years.
“By improving pumping stations, replumbing parts of household and highway drainage and providing slow-drain water butts, pumping stations will be able to operate more efficiently to protect the environment better. Community schemes are an important part of this plan and initial evidence suggests that the water butt scheme works.
“A trial was conducted last year in Havenstreet. Before the trial, Havenstreet pumping station ‘spilt’ – polluted – up to 30 times a year. Two-thirds of eligible residents took up Southern Water’s offer of a free water butt installation. The result has been a 70 per cent reduction in spills so far. Clearly, however, the more people who accept the offer, the better the results.
“The water butt scheme is now being made available in Gurnard to households with a connection to the foul sewer (i.e. those that contribute water to storm overflows). The scheme will be rolled out elsewhere on the Island in the coming months.
“On the Island, we have one of Britain’s best water improvement schemes. The water butts are a small but important part of that. It’s a practical way of us all helping. The more of us that can say yes, the better the results. Therefore, if you are being contacted by Southern Water for a water butt, please do say ‘yes’.”
At the time of writing, 12 Island beaches currently have a pollution risk warning with only Ventnor and Compton the only 2 beaches with no water quality alerts currently in place.
Makes you wonder how much these water companies have got away with in the past doesn’t it. Now all this is out in the ocean, I mean open, there should be zero tolerance. It’s still tolerated.
As a loyal Tory, Bob voted to continue dumping sewage
But they are all as bad as each other! I worry labor would have added Frances sewage to our beaches.
Bob talking of sewage, when are you going to Stop
backward Numpties parking on pavements outside the old
Council Houses along Great Preston Road!!
Does the Island not care for pedestrians safety, also the fact that by idiots
Parking on Pavements it is impossible for vehicles to drive along a busy
Island Road safely without having to Stop due to the Road being narrow.
Police, Highways, Fire Engines, Ambulances and Buses use this Road 24/7
Are they Blind, or turn a blind eye to an accident waiting to happen.
I park my scooter there all the time. Stuff those numpties that live there.
That’s the Builder Matey at No.90 Great Preston Road
He does not understand law and order
also does not give a fcuk about anyone else, hence parking
24 hours a day on the pavement.
He knows the Council are Useless
It’s his backward daughter who does not give a fcuk
where she parks p*ssing off motorists who have to come to a
complete stop.
The builder Matey drives a VW Van
The Council should tow away any vehicles that park on pavements.
The Council are a waste of space.
There has already been a legislative opportunity to do this and the Tory party put the economic interests of the water companies first and refused to support the legislation which would have stopped them dumping sewage in the sea
Hold on there. Didn’t my alter ego Bob vote to continue pumping poop into the sea?
Yes he did, allong with all the other crony MP’s, every one of them voted for it if I am correct. So now the whole of the British water ways and rivers re all poisoned, he wants the credit for trying to stop it. Sorry Bob, you voted for it, you eat it
After Seely broke Lockdown Rules and attended a barbeque.
I have and never and will never forget all the persons who sadly died and
were denied visiting their loved ones while Seely was living it up in
Seaview.
Hey, IE.
MP WHO VOTED FOR POLLUTED ISLAND WATERS LYING AGAIN
Fixed your headline for you.
Bob, you care!!! You care about one thing, you care about Bob Seely.