Demand for sea sewage pollution probe

Eight bay beaches had sewage warnings at the weekend

Torbay Council’s Conservative administration is being urged to think again after turning down a call to hold the government and South West Water to account for sewage pollution at sea.

The call, from the council’s Liberal Democrat leader Steve Darling (Barton with Watcombe), follows a weekend during which Surfers Against Sewage named 37 Devon beaches where sewage was already in the sea or likely to be discharged.

They included some of the bay’s showcase holiday beaches including Meadfoot, Beacon Cove, Torre Abbey, Hollicombe, Preston Sands, Paignton Sands, Goodrington and St Mary’s Bay. 

Cllr Darling, who is also the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Torbay, said: “It is shameful how the Conservatives are wilfully blind to this continuing blight on our waters in the bay. As someone who loves sea swimming, I believe with a passion that we need to be holding the government and South West Water to account on this matter.”

The council was asked at its overview and scrutiny board meeting on July 5 to undertake a spotlight review of sea pollution and demand answers from the government and the water company, but the motion was not passed.

Now Cllr Darling will ask again, this time at a meeting of the full council on Thursday 20 July.

His question to the council’s Tory leadership says: “This dumping is poor publicity that Torbay could do without at the start of the school holidays.

Residents and visitors should have clean waters to enjoy.

“Do you agree that it was a poor judgement not to agree to undertake a bespoke spotlight review that would have held South West Water and the government to account on pollution of our seas that is significantly impacting on Torbay’s aspiration to become the premier resort in the UK?

“And do you agree that in light of this, a spotlight review should be undertaken as a matter of urgency by Torbay Council’s overview and scrutiny board?”