The Isle of Wight's MP has supported imposing a legal obligation on water providers to reduce sewage discharges into our sea and rivers, but Bob Seely did not support an amendment by the Duke of Wellington, which called for utility firms to aim to stop the process altogether.

Last night (Monday), MPs voted for a second time on the Environment Bill.

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What was it all about?

  • The Duke of Wellington's amendment said water companies should be required to take "all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows" to "try to eliminate, not simply reduce, the harm caused to the environment and individual and public health by the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers, and to ensure that the various agencies use their powers of enforcement.
  • It was previously passed by the House of Lords, with a majority of 153. The Environment Bill was sent back to the Commons for further consideration which allowed the Government to publish its own amendment that it said was similar to the Duke's.
  • Environment Secretary George Eustice had previously said the Government’s amendment (approved by MPs last night) was “mirroring” what peers had already voted for in the Lords.
  • However, Shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard said ministers had been “shamed” into a U-turn on sewage, saying the amendment did not go far enough.
  • The Government amendment - first published on October 26 in what some described as a u-turn, after a storm of criticism - introduces a legal requirement for water companies to progressively reduce "the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows". 

What was the reaction?

Mr Seely had been challenged by some Islanders to support the Duke's bill but he voted for the government's change, instead - a decision criticised on social media as 'misleading' and 'shameful'.

However, on Twitter, Bob Seely insisted his vote was to "clean up England’s rivers and beaches" and he called the bill "ground-breaking".

He said :"High amenity and ecologically sensitive areas to be prioritised.

"I am writing to Southern Water to ensure the Isle of Wight is prioritised.

"Government expects firms to ‘significantly reduce the frequency and volume of storm overflows’.

"The Government will also deliver a statutory plan to reduce discharges from storm overflows and report to on progress.

"There is also a new duty on water firms to deliver plans explaining how they’ll manage and develop their drains and sewers."

Speaking in a debate before the vote, Mr Seely said any amount of sewage discharge is unacceptable and asked the Environment Minister to stress to water companies the need for speed and priority for ecologically sensitive sites.

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Isle of Wight County Press: The scene on November 2 when there were many discharges off Isle of Wight's coast, after Sunday's stormy weather. (Photo from Beach Buoy, which monitors and highlights discharges).The scene on November 2 when there were many discharges off Isle of Wight's coast, after Sunday's stormy weather. (Photo from Beach Buoy, which monitors and highlights discharges).

Cowes North Councillor and former Labour parliamentary candidate Richard Quigley said: "So Bob Seely voted to keep filling our seas and rivers with sewage. 

"Even Southern Water were in favour of toughening the Environment Bill."

At last night's vote, MPs voted (by 283 to 162 – a majority of 120) for a new requirement to show what action is being taken to stop the discharges - a mix of run-off rainwater and screened sewage pumped straight into our sea and rivers, when pipes are overwhelmed in stormy weather.

Mr Seely was among Conservative MPs who said the cost of stopping altogether would have been huge and argued bill payers would have been left paying the price.

Earlier this year, Southern Water was fined £90 million for illegally dumping sewage between 2010 and 2015.

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In August, Macquarie Asset Management acquired a majority share in Southern Water and said planned to invest "approximately £1 billion in new equity to recapitalise the business and implement a more sustainable financing strategy", on behalf of long-term investors, including pension funds and insurance companies.

Mr Seely said a Storm Overflows Task Force has been given powers to order water companies to act if they don’t move fast enough.

It was the second time the Isle of Wight MP opted not to support a complete ban and critics want more to be done.

Yesterday, Mr Quigley tweeted: "If Bob Seely votes in favour of the Lord's amendment on sewage and against the health and social care bill, I will dress in an outfit of his choice for a whole day and stand outside M&S telling everyone what a hero he is.

"Support the Duke of Wellington's amendment, not the government's one.

"It's what your constituents want, it's what the tourist industry wants and I think it's what you want."

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With just hours to go before last night's vote, utility firm Southern Water announced plans to cut storm overflows by 80 per cent by 2030.

The utility firm argues discharges are 95 per cent rainwater and only happen during times of heavy rain - to prevent the sewer system overflowing and causing flooding.

Ahead of the vote, environment minister Rebecca Pow said she had met water firms to “reiterate the action they must be taking to tackle storm overflows”.

There have been a series of discharges around the Isle of Wight in recent weeks with the most recent at Cowes and Gurnard in the last 72 hours.