Agenda and minutes

Report of the Group Director of Operations

Report of the Group Director of Operations

Sewage

Preamble

1.      Local residents are deeply concerned about water quality and the impact of regular wastewater discharge - which includes untreated sewage - into our local rivers (and on into the sea), and its impact on wildlife and on human health.

2.      In 2022, Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL) discharged sewage into the Tees catchment 5,334 times, for 19,512 hours. Within Darlington Borough, we saw 530 discharge events, totalling 2,179 hours of raw sewage release. It’s clear that release of sewage into rivers is no longer an emergency-only situation, occurring as a result of severe storms, but an everyday occurrence even in ‘normal’ rainfall, and that we are in a situation of cumulative overload on the sewage and wastewater system.

3.      Not one of the rivers in Darlington Borough is classed as ‘Good’ for Ecological and Chemical Status under the Water Framework Directive. The UK has the dirtiest rivers in Europe.

4.      Rockwell Local Nature Reserve (LNR), home to otters and kingfishers, would be the local wildlife site most likely to be affected, as the River Skerne flows through its meanders and other habitat created before its designation in 2005. But pollution could also affect other borough wildlife sites and what goes into the Tees catchment affects the Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area & Ramsar site, with its nationally and internationally important waterbird species.

5.      Whilst there are long-term commitments, there are no published plans in place which will address the immediate unacceptable situation either locally by Northumbrian Water Ltd, or by national government.

6.      As part of the Water Framework Directive and river basin management plans, local authority Development Plan Policies are expected to require that development does not lead to deterioration of water body status; protect sensitive locations, and protected areas identified in river basin management plans; and require upgrades to local water infrastructure, for example, for strategic development sites in strategic site allocation policies. Darlington’s Local Plan policy DC2 states this requirement.

7.      There is no clear local position statement by the Environment Agency, which has overall responsibility, to clarify cumulative impact of sewage overload on our wildlife and habitats. The River Tees catchment is affected by the related issue of water nutrient neutrality which has directly led to a pause in development, yet increase in sewage overload from planned new homes seems not to be accounted for. However, Natural England and/or the Environment Agency have commented on many major planning applications across Darlington requesting details of sewage infrastructure plans or other mitigation measures, to ensure they align with the development’s build time, or confirmation there is sufficient capacity in the network to accept foul flows without increasing storm overflow spills. In some, they recommend use of Grampian conditions so development cannot proceed until after Northumbrian Water Ltd. has increased its sewage treatment and pipework hydraulic capacity so the overall impact of sewage overload into rivers is not increased by new development.

8.      Both local and national planning policy requires a robust approach to both water quality  ...  view the full agenda text for item 48a

Stopping Conflict in Israel-Palestine

Preamble

a)      Palestine has been recognised as a sovereign state by 138 of 193 UN member states.

b)      East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Gaza are illegally occupied by Israel; and Gaza has been subject to 16 years of blockade;

c)      the UK, at the UN Security Council on 18 October 2023, refused to vote for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza;

d)      Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B’tselem and the South African government recognise that the state of Israel is enacting a system of apartheid; and

e)      the capture and detention of civilians without legal process as a form of punishment is a breach of the Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention.

This Council therefore believes :-

a)      all atrocities committed against civilians must be condemned and investigated;

b)      all forms of racism, including anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have no place in our Borough and condemns any attacks on Palestinian, Jewish or Muslim people;

c)      all political leaders have a responsibility to try to prevent genocide; and

d)      the only one way to secure peace between Israelis and Palestinians is for a just political settlement based on the end of the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and an end to what one UN Special Rapporteur has described as “apartheid practices”, and another has described “settler-colonialism” and “ethnic cleansing”;

Resolution

This Council resolves :-

a)      to call upon the UK Government to :-

a.      call for an immediate ceasefire and to vote for this at the UN;

b.      call for an immediate release of all civilians captured and detained without legal process;

c.       cease all arms sales to Israel and end military aid for Israel; and

d.      call on Israel to resume negotiations with the Palestinians;

b)      requests the Chief Executive to submit this Motion to the UK Government.