River Nidd clean-up campaign boosted by £500,000 from Yorkshire Water

A campaign to clean-up the River Nidd has received a £500,000 boost — from a penalty paid by Yorkshire Water for polluting Harrogate..

Yorkshire Water revealed last week it had agreed to give £1 million to charities for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate.

The sum — to atone for an unauthorised sewage discharge that killed fish in the beck — was divided equally between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

A meeting in Knaresborough yesterday heard Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, which is based in Pateley Bridge, will use the funding to lead the iNidd project to clean-up the River Nidd.

Charlotte Simons, senior project manager at the trust, told the meeting:

“The sad thing is we have the money because something went wrong.

“But we have been given a lump sum that can lead to long-term improvements on the River Nidd.”

Yesterday’s meeting in Knaresborough.

The trust, which runs improvement projects across the catchments of the Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe and Ouse, will work with anglers, academics and wild swimmers as well as Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency on the iNidd scheme.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is also involved through his campaign to achieve bathing water status on the Nidd at Knaresborough Lido.

The trust previously led the iWharfe project to improve the River Wharfe.

Yorkshire Water’s iNidd funding will pay for water quality schemes and other initiatives, such as habitat improvements and tackling invasive non-native species.

Nidd Action Group organised yesterday’s meeting at the Centre on Gracious Street, which gave members of the public the chance to quiz those involved in the iNidd campaign.

It followed a previous meeting at the same venue in spring this year, which marked the start of the clean-up campaign.

David Clayden, chair of the action group, said:

“We have achieved a lot in six months. I expect to see plans come together in the next six months that are collaborative and will make a difference.”

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Yorkshire Water’s £1m pay-out to charities branded ‘pathetic’

News of Yorkshire Water’s record £1 million payout to environmental charities to atone for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate has met with mixed reactions, with one local politician branding it “pathetic”. 

As we reported yesterday, the utility company polluted Hookstone Beck in 2016 with an unauthorised sewage discharge, killing fish and breaching its environmental permit. 

Following an investigation, it offered the Environment Agency an Enforcement Undertaking to pay £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. The Agency accepted the undertaking, making it the largest civil sanction it has ever accepted. 

Yorkshire Water has also completed a £1.85 million sewer network upgrade in the area as part of the enforcement terms. 

But Tom Gordon, parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, slammed the agreement. He said: 

“This is a pathetic pay-out for a firm which raked in over £500 million in profit last year. Conservative Ministers need to get tough on this polluting firm and fine them far more, as well as ban their insulting bonuses.

“It is a scandal that Yorkshire Water’s exec bonuses are more than double the amount offered for killing animals and destroying rivers in Harrogate.

“This reeks of a pathetic bribe, which Ministers have fallen for – hook, line and sinker.”

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Mr Gordon’s adversary, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is a colleague of the Ministers referred to by Mr Gordon, was more phlegmatic. He said:

“This is a significant sum in respect of an incident over seven years ago. These incidents should not happen and I am aware through my regular contact with Yorkshire Water on water-quality issues that substantial investment has been made since this event.

“The fact that such a large penalty has been paid by Yorkshire Water shows the seriousness with which the government takes pollution. I am pleased to see that the money is being spent locally – importantly on improvements to the River Nidd catchment and at Staveley Nature Reserve to support wildlife habitats.”

Photo of volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampling water quality in Oak Beck.

Volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampled water quality in rivers and becks across the district over the summer.

Meanwhile, Nidd Action Group (NAG), which was set up in Knaresborough in 2022 to stop sewage pollution and make local rivers safer, said it was disappointed the deal had taken seven years to strike, but hoped it would serve to change water companies’ behaviour. 

David Clayden, chairperson of Nidd Action Group, said: 

“NAG deplores the huge amount of sewage (treated and untreated) that continues to enter the river Nidd, often via becks that meander through parts of Harrogate and Knaresborough (2,000 spills and 12,000 hours in 2022, according to the latest data available). 

“NAG’s recent two citizen science surveys, in August and October, have confirmed continuing high levels of E. coli bacteria and phosphates in parts of the Nidd Catchment, including many becks.  

“One of our sampling points was on Hookstone Beck, and our surveys this year showed high concentrations of both forms of pollution, causing risk to human life and to the ecology in and around the becks, even after extensive work has been carried out.” 

“NAG is disappointed that resolution of these incidents has taken so long, but hopes that this ‘charitable donation’ acts as a meaningful deterrent to the neglect of our rivers and results in significant improvement of our becks for the healthy enjoyment of these formerly attractive local assets.  

“NAG looks forward to working with The Environment Agency and with Yorkshire Water to review the current evidence gathered by local citizen scientists and to ensure much needed improvements in the Nidd Catchment.”

Yorkshire Water pays record £1m to charities after polluting Harrogate beck

Yorkshire Water has paid a record £1 million to environmental and wildlife charities after polluting a Harrogate river, following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

The utility company polluted Hookstone Beck with an unauthorised sewage discharge from Hookstone Road combined sewer overflow, killing fish and breaching its environmental permit.

It submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, proposing a charitable donation totalling £1 million, which is the largest ever accepted by the Agency.

It has paid £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. It has also completed a significant £1.85 million sewer network upgrade in the area as part of the enforcement terms.

Claire Barrow, Environment Agency area environment manager in Yorkshire, said:

“We always consider enforcement options on a case-by-case basis and Enforcement Undertakings allow companies to put right what went wrong and contribute to environmental improvements and outcomes.

“This significant £1 million civil sanction will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment for people and wildlife.

“The Environment Agency investigation also led to significant improvements to the sewer network in this area to prevent repeat incidents and ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.”

A photo of polluted water flowing into Hookstone Beck.

Polluted water flowing into Hookstone Beck. Photo: Environment Agency.

The Stray Ferret has extensively covered this issue.  As we reported  in July 2023, it agreed to pay £235,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust following an illegal discharge into Hookstone Beck in 2015. Two years ago, we also reported on a “sea of bubbles” that appeared in the beck.

And the problems are not confined to that particular watercourse. Earlier this year, the Stray Ferret revealed that Yorkshire Water had discharged sewage into the River Nidd 870 times in 2022, and levels of the harmful bacteria E. coli are “concerningly high”.

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An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies or individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a payment to an environmental charity to carry out environmental improvements in the local area.

Hookstone Road combined sewer overflow has an environmental permit which allows a discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is full due to rainfall or snow melt.

On August 31, 2016 the Environment Agency received a report of pollution in Hookstone Beck. Investigating officers traced it to the overflow at Hookstone Road, which had blocked and not alerted Yorkshire Water due to faulty telemetry equipment.

The investigation found that almost 1,500 fish had been killed and water quality affected for 2.5km downstream. A series of further blockages and discharges took place in the following months.

A detailed Environment Agency investigation was undertaken, this included the use of devices called sondes in the river to measure the impact of ammonia and an assessment of Event Duration Monitoring data that revealed the company was in breach of its environmental permit.

As part of the Enforcement Undertaking requirements Yorkshire Water has already carried out a significant £1.85 million improvement and rebuilding project to the overflow and surrounding sewer network to bring it back into compliance with its environmental permit.

A photo of cloudy water in Hookstone Beck caused by pollution from an unauthorised sewage release by Yorkshire Water.

Photo: Environment Agency.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“This incident was initially caused by a plank of wood that shouldn’t have been in the sewer network and took place seven years ago. We acted quickly to stop the pollution but understand incidents of this kind are distressing and when things go wrong, we understand we have a responsibility to make it right and to prevent these things from happening at all.

“Unfortunately, it has taken seven years to reach an agreement with the Environment Agency to donate funds to local wildlife charities that will directly benefit Yorkshire, but we are pleased to have finally provided funds to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

“We’re committed to protecting the environment and our procedures and processes have evolved significantly since 2016, contributing to a halving of pollution incidents in the last five years. Following this incident in 2016, we spent almost £2 million to improve the sewer network in the area to prevent repeat issues.”

Individuals and organisations that pollute the environment will soon face unlimited penalties under new legislation being brought forward by the government. The current limit of variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency can impose directly on operators will be lifted, following a government consultation which received widespread public support.

This will offer regulators a more efficient method of enforcement than lengthy and costly criminal prosecutions, although the most serious cases will continue to be taken through criminal proceedings.

Water Minister Robbie Moore said:

“This record penalty paid by Yorkshire Water demonstrates that those who damage our natural environment will be held to account.

“Our Plan for Water is all about delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement right across the water sector – and this penalty for Yorkshire Water demonstrates that we will take robust action when required.

“Our Plan includes scrapping the cap on civil penalties by introducing unlimited fines and significantly broadening their scope to target a much wider range of offences – from breaches of storm overflow permits to the reckless disposal of hazardous waste.”

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will use the payment in North Yorkshire for new and improved homes for wildlife, mainly on their wetland reserves. This includes reprofiling Ripon City Wetlands to create muddy shores for wading birds, safe breeding islands and removing invasive plants, as well as replacing equipment. Habitat improvements on the River Tutt at Staveley nature reserve will also help to store flood water, protecting communities downstream.

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust will use the payment to develop a programme of improvements along the River Nidd. It will be working through the catchment partnership – Dales to Vales Rivers Network – with local communities and other organisations to build on existing work with citizen scientists.

Glut of housebuilding in Harrogate worsening Nidd raw sewage problem

A massive increase in housebuilding across Harrogate and Knaresborough is worsening pollution in the River Nidd, according to the Environment Agency.

Jamie Duncan, who has worked on the Nidd for 20 years for the public body, gave a wide-ranging presentation about the health of the river to Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors earlier today.

Yorkshire Water is allowed to release sewage into the Nidd when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed through what are called storm overflows.

It has led to human waste being released over thousands of hours, and sampling by the Nidd Action Group has reported that the bacteria E. coli is at “concerningly high” levels.

Mr Duncan’s message to councillors was stark as he warned the problem could get worse without a recognition of the impact that development is having, and improvements to the town’s creaking Victorian sewerage system.

He said the Environment Agency was trying to tackle historic pollution problems, such as peat bog erosion and metal mining, which wash into the river at Nidderdale and travel downstream.

But he said its attempts are being made more difficult due to the thousands of new homes that have been built in the outskirts of Harrogate over the last decade — and thousands are more planned.

He said:

“If you are building housing estates on the urban fringe, on greenfield sites that historically have sewers just for servicing a pub and a few farms… and you’re putting hundreds of houses into these pipes then you only need a very small amount of rain [for waste] to spill into rivers.

“That’s untreated sewage. You’ve sieved out contraception and sanitary products, nothing more.”

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During the 2010s the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council did not have a local plan for several years, which gave the authority little control over where developers chose to build.

Harrogate now has a local plan but Mr Duncan said North Yorkshire Council must give more consideration into what impact new housing is having on the sewerage system, which he said is struggling to cope.

He added that the situation is leading to more storm overflows and more sewage being pumped into the Nidd.

A working group of councillors was set up last year to tackle pollution in the river, following an incident last summer where several children ended up in hospital after swimming there.

A campaign is also underway to clean up the river so it can be designated with bathing water status. Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones submitted an application to government last month.

North Yorkshire Council is also in the early stages of developing a new county-wide local plan that will set out where housebuilding can take place over the next 15 years.

Paul Haslam, Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he hoped the council can view the sewage network as a “critical part” of infrastructure, like roads.

In the meantime, Mr Duncan urged councillors to factor in the sewerage system when granting planning permission for new developments.

He said:

“If you’re going to grant it, please understand the knock-on effects. Houses might be new, but the sewage pipes might run a very long way through central Harrogate to a very old system that’s at capacity.”

Flood alerts active on Ure and Nidd as Boroughbridge bears brunt

Flooding is expected in low-lying areas alongside the River Ure near Boroughbridge, the Environment Agency said this morning.

Two flood alerts and one flood warning are active in the Harrogate district, which is at greater risk of flooding than almost anywhere else in northern England and the Midlands.

The more severe flood warning is from Aldwark Bridge to Cuddy Shaw on the Ure, just south of Boroughbridge.

An Environment Agency update for this area at 7.04am today said:

“River levels in the lower River Ure remain high due to recent rainfall associated with Storm Debi. Areas affected are properties at Aldwark Bridge and at Thorpe Underwood in Cuddy Shaw.

“Levels at Aldwark Bridge are continuing to fall but remain high. We expect levels to continue falling today.

“Please put your flood plan in place.”

Environment Agency advice on what to do is available here.

Two people had to be rescued from a vehicle trapped in flood water in Boroughbridge yesterday. The previous night, firefighters pumped two-feet of standing water from a home in the town.

Less severe flood alerts are active for the lower Nidd catchment and the lower Ure.

The flood alert area for the Nidd includes land around the lower Nidd and its tributaries including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter.

For the lower Ure, the area at risk is low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.

Brighter is weather is expected this afternoon and tomorrow before further outbreaks of rain this weekend.

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Two flood alerts issued for Harrogate district

The Environment Agency has issued two flood alerts in the Harrogate district.

The alerts have been put in place overnight for the Lower River Nidd catchment near Kirk Hammerton and the lower River Ure, which affects Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.

It affects low-lying land including agricultural land and local road on the Lower River Ure and land around the Lower River Nidd and its tributaries including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter.

The alerts said:

“Flooding is possible in this area.

“Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one.”

The move comes as a yellow weather warning is in place in the Harrogate district until 6am on November 3 amid forecast heavy rain due to Storm Ciarán.

The Met Office said rain could cause disruption in the north of England, including flooding and delays and cancellations to public transport.

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Flooding expected on Skell, Ure and Nidd as river levels rise

Flood warnings are active on low-lying areas alongside the rivers Ure, Skell and Nidd in the Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate areas this morning. The Environment Agency issues flood warnings when flooding is expected and immediate action is required. One was installed in Ripon last night due to rising river levels. The Environment Agency said:

“Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the River Laver, River Skell, with low lying land expected to be most affected, particularly around riverside properties including Firs Avenue and properties either side of Alma Weir.”

Another warning is active for Boroughbridge camping and caravan site along the Ure. It says the river level is expected to peak at around 2.2m at Westwick Weir this morning, A separate warning was issued at 12.48am this morning for the nearby River Tutt in Boroughbridge where properties next to the river are expected to flood. The only part of the River Nidd with a flood warning is at Birstwith, where the Environment Agency said at 4.48am this morning:

“Areas most at risk include properties situated along Wreaks Road, Clint Bank and Broomfield Road.”

Less severe flood alerts, which indicate flooding is possible but not likely, are in place for the upper, middle and lower Nidd catchment areas A flood warning for the Lower River Ure was issued at 1.48am last night but was downgraded to an alert at 8.31am, with the Environment Agency now saying:

“Flooding is possible on low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.”

The River Crimple, Lower Dunsforth Access and the Nidd at Hunsingore also have flood alerts in place. Lighter rain is expected this morning before a 48-hour dry period proceeds more rain.

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Heavy rain causes flooding and travel disruption

Homes are at risk of flooding, travel is disrupted and attractions have closed as rain affects the Harrogate district. Follow our live blog for Storm Babet updates.

Please send storm news from your area to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

6.10pm: RSPCA urges pet owners to keep animals safe

RSPCA water rescue teams are on standby.

RSPCA inspectorate commissioner Dermot Murphy said:

“In areas affected by flooding owners should be looking to bring small animals inside and move them upstairs, while livestock should be taken up to higher ground with enough emergency supplies for their needs. If householders do have to leave animals behind when they evacuate properties then they should keep them inside an upstairs room with plenty of food and water.

“Wild animals can also struggle in stormy weather but people can help them too. For example, they could leave some extra food out for hungry birds above ground level and perhaps even provide shelter for ground-nesting birds.”

5.48pm: Patio flooding in Killinghall

Reader Simon Beckett has sent us this photo of his patio in Killinghall, where standing water is beginning to accumulate.

If you have photos showing the impact of the storm please send them to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

5.18pm: Northern warns of ‘ongoing disruption’ on trains

Rail operator Northern has urged people to check here for service updates before setting off.

4.51pm: Environment Agency warns of more flood warnings

The Environment Agency has just issued a press release saying more flood warnings are expected to be issued, including in Yorkshire in the next 24 hours.

It says:

People are being urged to prepare for the risk of significant flooding for the rest of this week. The public should sign up to flood warnings and check the latest safety as heavy downpours are likely to fall on saturated ground.

Mike Dugher, Yorkshire area director at the Environment Agency, said:

“Persistent and heavy rain brought by a combination of Storm Babet and following weather systems means significant river flooding is possible across Yorkshire today and into Saturday.

“We have flood alerts and warnings in place across Yorkshire and do expect more to come into place over the next 24 hours.

“We would urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water – as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. ” 

4.16pm: Don’t visit the coast, urges North Yorkshire Council

In case you were thinking of heading to Scarborough, North Yorkshire Council has issued a press release advising against it.

Marine Drive was closed today due to overlapping seawater and street furniture being blown around in high winds.

A decision has also been made to cancel this evening’s two shows at Scarborough Spa as Spa Road will be closed due to the risk of overtopping. The cliff lift is also out of action because of the high winds.

3.45pm: Plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford Airport

Emergency services are at the scene. You can read more here.

3.05pm: Persistent rain forecast until 4am

The amber weather warning for the Harrogate district is in place until 6pm tonight but the Met Office is still forecasting rain until 4am tomorrow morning followed by more intermittent lighter rain until 11am tomorrow.  The sun may make an appearance on Sunday.

2.12pm: Flood warning removed for Pannal and Burn Bridge

The Environment Agency has removed its flood warning for parts of Pannal and Burn Bridge alongside the River Crimple — also known as Crimple Beck. It was issued at 4.14am. However, a less severe flood alert remains in place in the wider River Crimple catchment area.

Five other flood alerts remain active in the Harrogate district, including this one for the Middle River Nidd catchment area.

1.16pm: Mother Shipton’s to close tomorrow

Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has posted on social media:

“Due to the ongoing extreme weather conditions, we have made the decision to close the attraction on Saturday, October 21.”

12.47pm: ‘Do not ignore road closed signs’, say firefighters

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a social media post urging drivers not to drive into floodwater or ignore road closed signs. You can read more here.

11.58am: Met Office upgrades local weather warning to ‘amber’. 

A yellow weather warning has been in place for the Harrogate district until tomorrow morning. But the Met Office has now upgraded to a more severe amber alert from midday until 6pm today.

It said persistent heavy rain was likely to lead to some flooding and disruption.

 

11.22am: Power cuts in Great Ouseburn

Northern Powergrid’s live power cuts map currently shows 52 homes in Great Ouseburn and Little Ouseburn are without power. But this appears to be the only part of the Harrogate district affected right now.

10.44am: Fountains Abbey and RHS Harlow Carr closed

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, including the deer park, are closed all day. RHS Harlow Carr announced yesterday it would close today and its autumn garden weekend had also been cancelled.

10.30am: Current flood alerts and warnings

Here is the current Environment Agency map showing flood alerts and flood warnings in the Harrogate district. You can read more about each incident here. If you live near any and can provide any updates and images email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will share the information.

10.21am: Harrogate to Leeds trains ‘returning to normal’

Rail operator Northern has posted on social media that the line between Harrogate and Leeds has reopened and services are returning to normal. The line closed due to flooding. However, Northern adds some services may still be delayed or cancelled.

10.11am: Flood alerts all along the River Nidd

The Environment Agency currently has flood alerts in place for the upper, middle and lower River Nidd. There are also alerts for the Lower River Ure at Ripon, the Lower Dunsforth Access and the River Crimple catchment. A more serious flood warning remains in place for the River Crimple at Burn Bridge and Pannal.

 

 

Residents in Pannal and Burn Bridge urged to act now to avoid flooding

The Environment Agency has urged people in Pannal and Burn Bridge to act now to avoid the impact of flooding.

The government agency issued a flood warning for areas alongside the River Crimple at 4.14am this morning.

Flood warnings are more severe than flood alerts and indicate flooding is imminent.

It said:

“River levels are rising rapidly on the River Nidd due to rainfall associated with Storm Babet.

“Areas most at risk include properties on Station Road, Malthouse Lane and Crimple Meadows. Further rainfall is expected throughout the day.

“Our incident room is open and we are closely monitoring the situation.”

A less severe flood alert has been issued for the Upper Nidd Catchment area (see above).

Rain is predicted all day before drier weather tomorrow.

The Environment Agency said:

“Avoid using low lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water.”

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What to do if you get a flood warning

This is the Environment Agency advice.

A flood warning means you need to act: flooding is expected. You should do all the actions for a flood alert, but also:

River Nidd bathing water bid to be sent next month

An application for the River Nidd in Knaresborough to be designated bathing water status is to be submitted to the government next month.

If successful, the move would oblige organisations such as the Environment Agency to take action to clean the Nidd, amid concerns about high sewage levels and bathers falling ill at Knaresborough Lido.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones will submit the application after overseeing a survey of how many people use the Lido during the bathing water season from May 15 to September 30.

Mr Jones said the deadline for sending the application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was the end of October. He added:

“Once submitted, there begins a long process in which Defra consult with many key stakeholders including Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency.

“Whilst we can’t be sure when the result will be known, applications that were submitted last year found out around March of this year.”

He said further surveys at the Lido were unlikely due to the colder weather, adding:

“The numbers we received from the surveys were excellent, and were nicely capped with that final burst of good weather a couple of weeks ago which saw hundreds of people swimming in the River Nidd at the Lido.”

The surveying was hampered a change in guidance in early July, but Mr Jones said “we have a committed team of volunteers which enabled us to adjust our plan quickly and fulfil the new criteria”.

Water sampling continues

Last month’s sampling in Bilton.

Nidd Action Group, which consists of anglers, academics, conservationists and volunteers has undertaken water sampling along the Nidd as part of the clean-up campaign.

The first round of sampling took place last month and a second round is required.

David Clayden, chairman of the group, said:

“We have identified four possible dates, but they are dependent on getting four days with no rain prior to the sampling day – so the first two, September 25 or 27, are no good.

“We are now aiming for either October 4 or 5 – again dependent on prior weather forecasts.”

Knaresborough Lib Dems send message to MP

Knaresborough Town Council gave its backing to the bathing water application this week — but the Liberal Democrat-controlled council added clauses urging the government to do more to protect rivers.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative elected in Aspin and Calcutt who took part in the Lido survey, proposed a motion calling for the council to support the application.

It said the Nidd at the Lido was an important resource for the people of Knaresborough and improving water quality “would have significant benefits for the environment, public health, recreation and the local economy”.

But David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said the motion “looked like a concerted effort by the Tory party to deflect attention” from allowing water companies to dump sewage in the river.

He proposed additional clauses, which included writing to Mr Jones requesting he “votes against any legislation that weakens planning and environmental policy” and “supports the call for water companies to be turned into public benefit companies with the aim of reducing leaks and sewage dumping, as well as limiting returns to shareholders”.

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