Shrewsbury seeks solutions to River Severn pollution

Claire Kirby, from the Up Sewage Creek campaign, was among about 250 people at the meeting

A meeting has been held to discuss pollution in the River Severn after campaigners called for action.

It was arranged by Shrewsbury Town Council and representatives from the Severn Trent water company heard from angry residents and campaign groups.

The company asked people to be patient and said improvement was being made.

But town councillor Kate Halliday, who called for the meeting, said change needed to happen faster and the council had agreed to draw up an action plan.

Jane Asterley-Berry, from campaign group Up Sewage Creek, said she was pleased to see the authority taking the issue on.

"Today is the beginning of the council really getting a grip of the situation," she said.

Her group has called for an end to sewage being released into the river and said the government needed to get "a better grip of this situation than they have done already".

She is opposed to combined sewage overflows in towns such as Shrewsbury, which convey sewage alongside rainwater and which are released into the river during heavy rainfall, to prevent them backing up.

The government has previously said combined sewer overflows "are a necessary part of the existing sewerage system, preventing sewage from flooding homes and businesses" and pledged in 2020 to closely monitor their use.

Andy Jones, from Shrewsbury Town Fisheries, said "30 years ago the river was superb"

Andy Jones, from Shrewsbury Town Fisheries, told the meeting the annual Shrewsbury River Classic Festival had been cancelled last year because of pollution.

He said potential entrants "go elsewhere, because when they've been here they're catching more sanitary products than fish".

Mr Jones said the meeting was "fantastic" and "very informative", but said modern sewage alternatives were needed because he had seen a decline in fish stocks and habitats which was "killing the river".

A number of environmental groups were called to speak at the meeting

About 250 people attended the meeting and afterwards Ms Halliday said she believed there would be some "small, gradual changes" but they were not enough.

She said there needed to be a "push at the local level" and suggested Shrewsbury might want to set itself a target of achieving bathing water status.

Severn Trent Water told the meeting there had been a 28% drop last year in sewage pollution cases and asked residents to be patient.

The Shrewsbury Town Council action plan will be discussed on 27 March.