Last year, the Conservatives allowed 153 spillages of raw sewage to be dumped into Edgbaston’s open spaces, new figures have revealed.
Analysis of Environment Agency data shows that in 2022, raw sewage was discharged into Edgbaston’s water for 213 hours, the equivalent of there being a continuous flow of sewage taking place for a staggering 9 consecutive days.
The research points to 153 sewage dumping events having taken place locally last year, a damning indictment of the Tories allowing raw sewage to polluting the places in which people live and work.
The data comes after Labour analysis revealed that nationally since 2016, a new sewage dumping event has taken place an average of every two-and-a-half minutes, with rivers, lakes, seas, and beaches having faced a staggering 1,276 years’ worth of raw sewage over just a seven-year period.
Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston which covers Bartley Green, Quinton, Harborne and Edgbaston said:
“My constituency is so fortunate to have beautiful open spaces like Bartley Green Reservoir, Woodgate Valley and the Bournbrook. However, it is horrifying to think that these incredible assets are being turned into sewers.
“While we have heard much about sewage being dumped into our seas, as a land locked city, many don’t think this issue affects us here in Birmingham. However, this new data shows that, that is simply not the case.
“This is an issue the Conservatives have actively encouraged. Conservative MPs not only voted to allow water firms to continue sewage dumping, but blocked a Labour-backed amendment that would have progressively eliminated sewage dumping. I am horrified that Birmingham-based MPs Andrew Mitchell and Gary Sambrook could have voted for such measures.”
The news will inevitably once again spark serious concern at the environmental, health and economic impact that sewage dumping is having on communities across the country.
Jim McMahon OBE MP, Shadow Environment Secretary said:
“That the Tories have allowed villages, towns, and cities across the country to be treated as open sewers shows that they have no respect for places where people live, work and holiday.
“Communities in Edgbaston Constituency should be able to just enjoy the place where they live without having to worrying about encountering filthy raw sewage.
“The next Labour Government will end the Tory sewage scandal, delivering mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets, introducing automatic fines for discharges, setting ambitious targets for stopping systematic sewage dumping and ensuring that water bosses are held to account for negligence.”
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