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12
Mar
People's Commission comes to Knaresborough to hear evidence on water sector problems
The national People's Commission on the Water Sector will come to Knaresborough this month to investigate how to fix Britain’s “broken” water system, and explore which solutions command broad support.
The public event, which will be hosted by the Nidd Action Group (NAG), is one of only four nationally. The first will be online and the other two will be held in Whitstable in Kent and Henley in Oxfordshire, so the Knaresborough event is the only one to be held in the North.
Water campaigner and People’s Commission member Feargal Sharkey said:
The industry clearly cannot be trusted, neither can the regulators. None of them have the right answers. It’s time to listen to the public. Here's your opportunity.
The Knaresborough event will focus on ways in which how resilience might be designed into water management systems, and will feature experts reporting on proven interventions employing natural processes.
It will feature two speakers. Alastair Chisholm, director of policy at the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management will talk on 'A Freshwater Future', and his evidence will be followed by a contribution from the University of York's Professor Alistair Boxall, who is an expert in ecological and health risks posed by chemical contaminants in the natural environment.
The People’s Commission has been set up to rival the government-established independent commission and will work to the same timescale, but it differs in that it includes the direct involvement of both experts and the public.
Ultimately, it will make recommendations to the government to secure a resilient water system, provide a more effective and equitable model of water company ownership, governance and operations, and meet the needs of water users and the environment.
NAG chair David Clayden said it was a unique opportunity for members of the public to say what they want from government, the water industry, regulators and polluters, ensuring that those who use water services and pay for the entire water sector play a full part in its future.
He added:
The people of Yorkshire and beyond have shown their love of and concern for the health of our rivers.
Now is the time for action from a refreshed and resilient water system able to fully engage with citizens.
The People’s Commission has been established by members of the Sewage Campaign Network, an independent collection of grassroots campaign groups, which includes NAG.
Other members of the Commission include Becky Malby, an honorary visiting professor at the University of York who was responsible for the River Wharfe at Ilkley becoming the first to be given bathing water status; Dr Kate Bayliss, a lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London who has investigated the private equity takeover of water firms; and Professor Ewan McGaughey, a reader in law at King’s College London.
The deadline for written evidence to the People’s Commission on the Water Sector is May 1, but it will begin taking evidence on March 27.
The Knaresborough sitting of the People’s Commission on the Water Sector will be held on March 31, from 11.30am till 4pm, at Centre on Gracious Street (COGS) in Knaresborough. Members of the public are invited to join the event.
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