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Water company 'sets record straight' on sewage plan

John Wood Two men stand on a bridge over a river with metal railings and a grass and tree-lined riverbank beyond. The men wear khaki trousers and dark green fleeces. The man on the left, who is bald, holds a sign that says "Environment Agency Stop the Pipe". A second sign is propped on the floor between the two men. The man on the right is grey-haired.John Wood
John Wood (left) with fellow supporter Robert Park set up a petition to prevent a pipe being built that could result in sewage being dumped into the river Onny

A water company has reassured residents over "misinformation" relating to a proposed Shropshire sewage pipe after more than 6,000 signed a petition against its plans.

Locals and environmentalists are worried about the four-mile (6.4km) pipeline planned to carry sewage effluent from Bishop's Castle to the River Onny.

Currently, the wastewater is discharged into the River Kemp, a tributary of the Clun.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "[It] has been designed to transfer water that has been through our full treatment process, not untreated sewage."

LDRS A small river pictured on a cloudy day. Its banks are lined with grass, trees and shrubs and fields can be seen beyond.LDRS
The River Onny near Bishops Castle, which is a habitat for salmon, grayling and trout

The Onny is home to a variety of wildlife, which includes otters, kingfishers and dippers.

It also has a strong population of brown trout, grayling and Atlantic salmon.

Regulations that apply to the Clun require any additional pollution, such as from housing development, to be offset by a reduction elsewhere in the same catchment.

But locals are concerned Severn Trent is planning to transport the treated sewage over a hill into the next valley where the Onny flows.

"This plan represents a blatant disregard by Severn Trent for their responsibilities and sets a terrible precedent for the rest of the country," said John Wood from the Onny Preservation Group.

"They should focus their efforts on cleaning up the river Clun, not polluting another stream in a separate catchment."

Mr Wood said it was "beyond belief" that the Environment Agency (EA), Natural England and Shropshire Council could support the plan and called on them to respond.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said they understood why residents felt strongly about their river.

"It's important to set the record straight and put people's minds at ease," they added.

"The proposal has been put together in consultation with the EA and Natural England to support the Clun's designation as a Special Area of Conservation," the spokesperson said.

The plan was in its "earliest stages", they added, and regulators would need to be satisfied it did not have detrimental impacts on biodiversity and wildlife for it to proceed.

"Should these tests not be met, consent for the works will not be given," the spokesperson said.

Severn Trent has been talking to potentially affected landowners and will hold wider public engagement sessions if consent is obtained.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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