Robert has recently welcomed the announcements from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, that this Government is delivering on two key commitments under ‘Our Plan for Water’.
Since 2017, Robert has been campaigning on the issue of sewage pollution, not long after he was first elected.
Robert has welcomed progress being made to tackle storm overflows on a national level. In 2010, when the Conservative Party took office 7% of storm overflows were monitored. That is why, Robert was very reassured to see the Environment Agency’s announcement at the end of December that every storm overflow in England is now monitored, 100%.
Further to this, new powers for the Environment Agency to issue unlimited fines to water companies who break the law have now been introduced. On top of this, the Environment Agency will also now be able to use penalties for a wider range of offences, including breaches of storm overflow permits. This will enable local authorities and the Government to better tackle illegal discharges and investigate those that breach their strict permits, delivering on the Government’s commitments set out in their ‘Plan for Water’.
Most recently, as part of Robert’s ongoing local campaign to address these issues for constituents in West Oxfordshire, he wrote to the Director of Thames Water, Alistair Cochran. In this letter, Robert again made clear how unacceptable the levels of sewage discharged into our waterways have been over recent weeks. Robert has conveyed to him the anger many in West Oxfordshire feel about these incidents and requested an urgent meeting. Please do see Robert's letter below.
Commenting on the announcements, Robert said: “Before Christmas, I met with the new Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to welcome him to the role and emphasise how important it is that we continue to address the issue of sewage pollution as the highest priority.
I am reassured by the positive progress being made to deliver on ‘Our Plan for Water’ and that storm overflows are now monitored 100% up from 7% in 2010.
Like many of my constituents, I am determined to see healthy water in Oxfordshire and throughout the whole of the UK.
Having been in regular contact with Thames Water, I am aware that upgrades across our local networks are being carried out. I have now asked for an update on this work and emphasised to their director that timely implementation is essential here, any further delay is unacceptable.”
