Second council votes 'no confidence' in water firm

The council said residents were "suffering" because of sewage discharges in the River Windrush

A council has unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in Thames Water and described the decision as a "cry for help".

Witney Town Council in Oxfordshire said "every person in Witney" was "suffering from the weight of environmental neglect" by the company because of sewage discharges in the River Windrush.

A Thames Water spokesperson said it was "committed to seeing our waterways thrive".

Earlier this month Henley Town Council also voted no confidence in the water company.

The Witney authority said it had been fighting to improve the water quality in the river for years but the "situation has only gotten worse".

It said Thames Water had made "repeated promises to fix the problem, but improvement works have been repeatedly delayed".

It wants other town councils to join it and Henley in tabling similar motions.

'Excuses'

Council leader Ruth Smith added: "Witney's sewage treatment plant has been polluting Colwell Brook and the Country Park for years.

"Thames Water has moved from denial to excuses and now threatens huge hikes in bills when the company has had customers' money all along.

"They give us no reason to have confidence in them."

The motion calls on the government to place full regulatory and administrative limits on Thames Water, suspend bonuses, bring criminal charges, and evaluate the pros and cons of its renationalisation.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "While all discharges are unacceptable, the sewage system was historically designed to work in this way, to prevent sewage backing up into people’s homes.

"We know how much rivers are loved and enjoyed by everyone, and we are committed to seeing our waterways thrive, but we can’t do it alone.

"Farming, industry, livestock and more extreme weather also play a role in river health.

"We have published plans to upgrade 250 of our sites across the region including our Witney sewage treatment works."

It said the site was being upgraded at a cost of more than £17m, with work ahead of schedule and expected to be completed this year.