'Great concern' - Call for government action amid South Tyneside tourism worries over sea pollution

It comes after a Labour motion was submitted to the latest meeting of South Tyneside Council over the “deterioration of our ocean” and the “rise in public concern regarding sewage discharges”.

It added impacts of this on communities include human health, coastal habitat quality, aquaculture/shellfish industries and tourism.

The motion was raised by Councillor Ernest Gibson and sought to endorse the findings of a survey on coastal water quality recently published by the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Coastal Special Interest Group (SIG).

Cllr Gibson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, chairs the group which aims to increase awareness of environmental, economic and social issues while pressuring the government on policy and funding.

His motion also stated the council leader and himself, as cabinet member for neighbourhoods, would write to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural, and make several requests.

These included calling for an independent review of water companies without self-monitoring and for a dedicated coastal minister to be installed, and for the Environment Agency to be properly resourced to deal with increasing issues relating to coastal water quality.

The motion was ultimately approved at the meeting (on Thursday, July 25), but not before facing criticism from opposition councillors.

Labour’s Cllr Gibson said: “It’s a great concern because it’s affecting our tourism as well,

“The new Labour government is looking at every aspect, we are looking at waterways, we are looking at stronger shores, which they are developing, they are looking to rewild on the coastline habitats, looking at sea life.

“There is going to be massive investment within the coast and waterways, that is one of the promises the government is absolutely bringing.”

He added: “But also there are going to be stronger powers because you’ve got these water companies who are polluting, vandalising our oceans basically, killing our sustainable future, there is going to be heavy fines.

“They’re not going to be the small little fines they had, and that will be invested in the ocean, so that will be happening very soon.”

Two amendments had been suggested by Green Party councillors at the meeting, one of which included calling on the Secretary of State to fund and resource rewilding of coastal seas.

The other called for water companies to be brought into public ownership, to ban the use of herbicides and pesticides in all environments other than farming, and to halt the production of any further single-use plastic containers where alternatives are available.

Green group representative Councillor Chris Davies argued the motion “doesn’t go far enough”.

Meanwhile, his party colleague, Councillor Nicky Gynn, added: “The health of our rivers and our seas is still deteriorating due to the failure of water companies as well as the pollution caused by pesticides, herbicides and plastics.”

However, these amendments were both defeated.

Councillor David Francis, Green group leader on the local authority, said the measures should be discussed by the LGA Coastal SIG going forward regardless.

Cllr Francis also criticised the recommendations of the motion, adding one of them includes Cllr Gibson himself, along with the council leader, writing to government, stating he could have just done this anyway without the motion.

He continued: “This motion is an endorsement by Cllr Gibson of his own report, the report of the committee he chairs, its self-congratulation.

“He’s saying in speaking on it that the new Labour government is already looking at every aspect of this, so why is it even needed in this case? It is embarrassing.”

He also claimed nationally the Labour government has “radically cut its funding” for its green investment pledge.

Cllr Gibson responded by noting “this is just the beginning” and the motion was brought to council to allow councillors to endorse the planned actions.

Meanwhile, lead member for economic growth and transport, Labour’s Councillor Margaret Meling, added she supports the work of the LGA Coastal SIG “to hold water companies to account for the effect of excess sewage on local authorities and the residents they represent”.

She added: “Hard working families face increased water bills to pay for sewage clean up and to pay dividends to shareholders, it’s just not acceptable.”