A fake blue plaque about Gedling MP Tom Randall’s vote on a controversial environment bill has mysteriously appeared on land next to a stream hit by sewage in Carlton.
The plaque appeared yesterday and reads: ‘Tom Randall voted for raw sewage to be dumped here 2021’.
Mr Randall was one of 268 MPs who voted not to include a proposed change to the Environment Bill last October, which green campaigners claimed would have resulted in water companies being fined for dumping sewage into rivers and the sea.
The plaque has been put up on land next to the Ouse Dyke on Burton Road.
The plaque refers to raw sewage which data from The Rivers Trust shows was discharged into the Ouse Dyke for 376 hours last year.
The Gedling MP responded to constituents questions yesterday after they brought the plaque to his attention via social media.
He wrote: “I would’ve thought that it should go without saying that nobody wants to see sewage dumped in our rivers and seas. It does, unfortunately, sometimes happen but the Environment Act, which took a long time going through Parliament, takes action on it.
“Storm overflows have been used to protect properties from flooding and prevent sewage from overflowing into streets and homes for many decades (and during Governments of all colours).
“In a combined sewer system, the system carries both surface water (for example run offs from highways) and foul water from homes and industry into one pipe, which is then treated at a water recycling centre.
“During a storm or heavy, prolonged rain, the flow into the combined sewer can cause it to be overwhelmed. The storm overflows release excess storm water into rivers or the sea when this happens. If this didn’t happen, the water would flow back up the system and flood homes.
Mr Randall went on to say he believed the Act he voted in favour for would address the sewage problem.
He said there would be a new duty on government to produce a statutory plan to reduce discharges from overflows and the harm this causes by September 2022 (they will report directly to Parliament).
He also highlighted that there would be a new duty on water companies to produce comprehensive statutory Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans. These would set out how the water companies will manage and develop its drainage and sewerage system over a minimum 25-year planning horizon and how storm overflows will be addressed through these plans.
Mr Randall added: “This is far more than can be fitted on to a fake blue plaque, and less evocative than some of the footage we have seen, but I hope does clarify the work that is actually being done to fix our sewage system, some of which dates back to the Victorian era.”
Stoke Bardolf sewage treatment works was totally rebuilt in the 90s alongside the existing works,I know I was on it for months,it was completed and worked fine,then we had a very heavy thunderstorm and heavy rainfall,,cricket field was underwater the sewage works was overwhelmed and shut itself down,consequently overflowed into the Ouse dyke and here we are 30 years on and it is still happening,,progress I think not myself
The response from the MP is just another example of “MP-speak” that seeks to explain back to us the nature of the problem (as if we didn’t know) in terms intended to make us think they are trying to solve it.
The main reason for sewage overflows is under-investment, as they can’t afford it if they are to continue to pay their senior people huge salaries and bonuses and dividends for their shareholders. The “combined” sewerage system mentioned does not make sense in an age of climate damage, and we need to separate out sewage from storm water, especially in all new builds.
His comments suggest a plan should be thought about and discussed. Kick the can down the road, The next generation can deal with it. MPs get there wages for talking, and probably additional consultation fees, the people they represent get literal and metaphorical excrement in return while trying to get by on falling incomes. Thank you Tom for failing us. Well done to the person who did the plaque though, it brightened my day.
Tom Randall needs to look carefully at the evidence before accusing others of “fake news”. Environment Agency data shows its river testing has fallen from nearly 100,000 samples a year in 2012 to 41,519 in 2021! And the government recently pushed back its target date on rivers reaching a good standard from 2027 to 2063. I for one am glad MPs are being held to account for their voting record!
Poor excuses from our local MP, after 12 years of his party’s government, for the sorry state of our flowing water. Why is raw sewage being pumped into our rivers so often? So that the shareholders of the water companies can be paid big dividends rather than investing in the water infrastructure.