Motion by Councillor Sally Povolotsky
This council notes that:
? Thames Water (TW) has been releasing untreated sewage into Oxfordshire rivers and chalk streams for 20+ years.
? TW’s sewerage service is beyond inadequate. With illnesses on the rise, bringing serious risk of death, administrative change is needed, these failures are a public health issue.
? TW is not sustainable without direct intervention and renationalisation by government.
? TW’s request to increase consumer bills at 44% over the next 5 years is extortion and a clear show of poor business management after decades of collecting payments and connection fees and neglecting to use them to maintain and improve the network.
? TW’s Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) isn’t fit for purpose and needs urgent scrutiny by this government and the regulator.
This council resolves that:
? This chamber, its members and residents have no confidence in Thames Water’s competence as a sewerage undertaker or maintainer of infrastructure for the current and growing population of this county.
? Requests the Leader writes to the Secretary of State (DEFRA), urging His Majesty's Government to urgently place full regulatory and administrative limits on Thames Water, suspending bonuses, bringing charges for polluting the eco system and urgently evaluate the pros and cons of the renationalisation of Thames Water. We call for an urgent public inquiry into the WRMP 2024.
? This council reaffirms its objection to the design for SESRO (South East Strategic Reservoir Option) given the ambiguity of the costs, environmental and human impacts to this county.
Decision:
The motion was carried with 29 votes in favour; none against and 13 abstentions.
Minutes:
The motion was proposed by Councillor Sally Povolotsky and seconded by Councillor Nick Field-Johnson.
Following debate, the motion was carried with 29 votes in favour; none against and 13 abstentions.
RESOLVED:
This council notes that:
? Thames Water (TW) has been releasing untreated sewage into Oxfordshire rivers and chalk streams for 20+ years.
? TW’s sewerage service is beyond inadequate. With illnesses on the rise, bringing serious risk of death, administrative change is needed, these failures are a public health issue.
? TW is not sustainable without direct intervention and renationalisation by government.
? TW’s request to increase consumer bills at 44% over the next 5 years is extortion and a clear show of poor business management after decades of collecting payments and connection fees and neglecting to use them to maintain and improve the network.
? TW’s Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) isn’t fit for purpose and needs urgent scrutiny by this government and the regulator.
This council resolves that:
? This chamber, its members and residents have no confidence in Thames Water’s competence as a sewerage undertaker or maintainer of infrastructure for the current and growing population of this county.
? Requests the Leader writes to the Secretary of State (DEFRA), urging His Majesty's Government to urgently place full regulatory and administrative limits on Thames Water, suspending bonuses, bringing charges for polluting the eco system and urgently evaluate the pros and cons of the renationalisation of Thames Water. We call for an urgent public inquiry into the WRMP 2024.
? This council reaffirms its objection to the design for SESRO (South East Strategic Reservoir Option) given the ambiguity of the costs, environmental and human impacts to this county.