Following political shenanigans by the Lib Dems at the last Council meeting, Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery has put forward a new proposal to the Council for a ‘River Task Force Committee’ based on the Lib Dems amendment that they proposed with very mixed motives. The Green’s improved plan covers all the rivers in the Borough and calls for a multi agency committee to be chaired by the Leader of the Council to reduce pollution and improve the flow of the rivers.
Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery said, “The Lib Dems tabled this basic idea as an amendment to my proposal on the rights of rivers at the last Council meeting but their amendment deleted much of my own proposal and it was therefore rejected. If they had put a positive proposal through the correct committee process it would doubtless have gained sufficient support. My group have now improved and presented the idea properly, rather than playing politics with such an important issue.
“Water is life and our waterways are under assault from sewage and erratic rainfall like never before in recorded history. The Conservative government have defunded the Environment Agency and it is now unable to ensure that the rivers are clean and we have water companies that are out of control. This week the Conservatives have given a further message to house builders that they can pollute rivers at will.
“We must get a grip on our rivers, and with good collective leadership, this task force can do this.”