Shipley MP pays tribute to local Ilkley river campaign group

Anna Dixon Member of Parliament for Shipley constituency, praised a local campaign group from Ilkley in the House of Commons this week as the government introduced a new bill aimed at addressing the issue of polluting water companies.

She highlighted that the Ilkley Clean River Group has been "at the forefront" of efforts to eliminate sewage dumping in the River Wharfe, as well as in rivers, lakes, and seas across the country.

Founded in 2018, the group aims to protect the Wharfe from pollution. Since its inception, it has campaigned for changes in environmental legislation and conducted research that revealed untreated sewage was being discharged into the river, even during periods of low rainfall.

Anna Dixon, who made the commitment to end sewage dumping in local rivers a priority during her general election campaign, has met with the group on several occasions, both in Ilkley and in Parliament. She also invited representatives to a briefing on the bill that she held in Parliament last week.

At the end of the previous Conservative government's 14 years in power, illegal sewage dumping in the UK reached record levels. This was partly due to a significant reduction in the Environment Agency's budget, which left them powerless to hold polluting water companies accountable.

The new Labour government's Water (Special Measures) Bill aims to introduce strict new measures. These include potential imprisonment for water executives if companies obstruct investigations or fail to cooperate, a ban on bonuses for CEOs and senior leadership unless high standards are achieved, and new cost recovery powers for regulators, ensuring that water companies cover the costs of enforcement actions.

Speaking during the House of Commons debate on the bill, Anna Dixon MP said: “I pay tribute to the local activists who have done so much to expose this scandal and campaign to protect our environment.

“The Ilkley Clean River Group has been at the forefront of the campaign to end the sewage scandal. Formed in 2018, through citizen science it has shown that untreated sewage was being dumped in our rivers even at times of low rainfall.

“The group worked very hard to secure bathing status in 2020—the Wharfe was the first river to do so in the UK—and the group highlighted the public health risk to bathers, but it should not have needed brave local residents to challenge the water companies.

“The regulators have failed in their job. That is why I am so proud that the Bill will require more frequent and accurate monitoring, and introduce fixed monetary penalties so that companies do not get away with it any longer.”