Parish Councillors grant Rights to Rivers to help improve protection
Saddleworth Parish Council has declared its support for stronger environmental protections as river health continues to decline.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Alicia Marland asked Saddleworth Parish Councillors to support the principle of establishing basic rights for rivers under the law, including the right to flow and the right to be free of pollution, and to support community action for all our rivers including the Tame and Medlock and streams such as Wood Brook and Chew Brook.
The motion passed reflects growing momentum both in the UK and internationally to give nature and rivers specifically a stronger voice through legal and ecological recognition. Many Councils have adopted Rights for Rivers because of the continued deterioration of our waterways and rising pollution rates however this is the first motion on this issue in Saddleworth and Oldham. This motion is in response to this Government’s lack of action because, despite many debates on this matter, there has been little action and the health of our rivers is worse than ever.
Councillor Marland said: “One water company, Thames Water, was fined £122 million by the water regulator Ofwat recently but under the law – as it currently stands – they can negotiate to worm their way out of paying this fine. It is an absolute farce and Ofwat should be held to account by this Government to prevent this from happening and more importantly, made to pay this fine in full. Sewage is discharged 365 days a year across the UK, and more must be done to stop this.”
She continued: “I am passionate about protecting our green spaces so we can all enjoy the benefits of our nature and countryside including rivers and streams. But many of them in Saddleworth and in Oldham are not healthy, with significant pollution as a result of discharges.
“I am an active litter picker which always makes a fantastic difference, but it is easily identified and cleared away. The pollution of our rivers is invisible to the eye so it requires more invention from specialists including the Environment Agency”.
The motion was seconded by Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani who added: “This is a vital move forward to recognising that the rights of rivers is essential for long-term sustainability as existing environmental laws fail to stop the continued decline of river health.”
The Liberal Democrats have also requested that the Parish’s transport and environment committee also look at ways in which the Parish can work to improve and celebrate the industrial heritage of the area’s canals as well.
Find out more about sewage and other pollutants in our rivers on The Rivers Trust website athttps://theriverstrust.org