Councillors have declared a vote of no confidence in South West Water at a full meeting of Cornwall Council in Truro today, stating that the company has failed to manage the sewage system.
The declaration added that, despite record bills and government intervention, raw sewage continues to impact Cornwall’s environment and public health.
It also called for the Government and OFWAT to remove SWW from the management of the Cornish water and wastewater systems and transfer the ownership and management to a publicly owned organisation, run as a public service.
It was put forward for debate by Cllr Loveday Jenkin, and was seconded by Cllr Dean Evans, and drew support from all sides of the chamber. It followed similar votes of no confidence from 16 town and parish councils in Cornwall in recent months.
Cllr Jenkin introduced the debate, stating that it was not a criticism of those working for South West Water in Cornwall, but focused on the senior management and infrastructure of the business.
The call for renationalisation of the water company proved the only bone of contention for some members, with some members stating they were unable to support the motion due to its inclusion in the wording.
The motion was supported with 68 votes for and two abstentions.
Speaking after the debate, Cllr Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “One of the key roles for this council is to amplify the voice of our residents and I am delighted we are standing up and saying enough is enough.
“Despite so many promises, including after a motion I raised myself in the chamber several years ago, nothing has happened. I hope that, by speaking with such a unified voice, the frustrations of our communities are clear to the Government and we can finally see some real change.”
Motions calling for National Highways to review the safety of the A30 at Connor Downs, for SEND reform through fairer funding, and one calling for the Government to give council the tools to build homes, were also approved by members.
A fifth motion, calling for the council to protect children in their care from participation in the nationwide PATHWAYS puberty blocker trial scheme, was rejected by councillors.
Concerns were also raised during the meeting over planned changes to National Planning Policy, which would see a large reduction in the number of planning applications being brought before committee for decisions.
The mandatory changes being pushed through from Westminster would have seen a reduction of almost half in the number of applications sent to committee in the past year.
Several members voiced their concerns, arguing that the changes dramatically reduced their powers to act on behalf of their residents in a large proportion of controversial planning applications, and would weaken relationships with town and parish councils.
As well as noting the changes, the council agreed to write to the Government to voice its concerns over the loss of democratic oversight once the changes are implemented.
You can watch a recording of today’s meeting via the council’s archived webcast service.