Ed Davey convenes “sewage summit” with council leaders as figures reveal spills by local authority

9 May 2024

EMBARGO: 00:01 Friday 10th May

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey demands action on sewage following local election triumph
New data reveals sewage spills broken down by local authority
Dorset Council, which the Lib Dems gained from the Conservatives, had the highest number of sewage dumps of any area up for election this time
Davey will hold a “Sewage Summit” today with Council Leaders and calls on local leaders to “fight against filthy sewage”

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today convene a sewage summit with Lib Dem council leaders, to discuss plans to take water companies and the government to task over the sewage discharges.

It comes after the party’s local election success where the Lib Dems campaigned relentlessly on sewage and the local environment. The party gained over 100 seats and control of two councils, beating the Conservatives and coming second for the first time since 1996.

The Liberal Democrats have obtained new research from the House of Commons Library which shows the number of sewage discharges by local council area. It shows the Conservative record of failure on sewage has seen them punished by voters. In the top 10 council areas where the Conservatives lost seats to the Liberal Democrats, there were 6,358 sewage dumps, lasting a total of 69,298 hours.

Dorset council, where Liberal Democrats have gained majority control, had 7,591 sewage spills in 2023, totalling 78,548 hours, the fourth highest in the country and the highest of any area that had local elections this time. Tunbridge Wells, another historic gain for the Liberal Democrats, saw 1,490 sewage dumps last year, totalling 14,460 hours worth of dumping.

The local authority with the largest number of sewage discharges for 2023 was Cornwall - a part of the west country where Liberal Democrats hope to make future gains - with a colossal 16,605 spills lasting 142,929 hours.

Last year, the Liberal Democrat-run Stockport Council became the first Council in the country to launch an official sewage inquiry. The inquiry asked for evidence from the local water companies and was chaired by Liberal Democratcouncillor Lisa Smart.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:

“On doorstep after doorstep, people told me how disgusted they were that filthy sewage had been pumped into their rivers and waterways - they voted at the local elections to send the Conservatives a message.

“The Liberal Democrats have long fought against the Government and the water companies to tackle the sewage scandal sweeping across the nation. Newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors are now raring to go in that fight.

“For years this national scandal has been allowed to take hold while the Conservative Government has sat on its hands and looked the other way. Local Liberal Democrats up and down the country will change that and make sure that people finally get the action they deserve.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

House of Commons Library data commissioned by the Liberal Democrats is found here.