Greens heap pressure on Northumbria Water over sewage leak at Jarrow beauty spot
“We have repeatedly warned that you cannot keep adding thousands of homes without making sure the sewage and drainage infrastructure is properly funded and has the capacity to cope.”
South Tyneside’s Green party leader has heaped pressure on water firm bosses by adding her voice to criticism of a sewage leak at a beauty spot.
Rachael Taylor said she feared a crack in a pipe at Springwell Park, Jarrow, was symptomatic of under investment in infrastructure.
She said this was particularly concerning due to sizeable house building plans proposed under the borough’s controversial and recently passed Local Plan.
Under the Local Plan – a blueprint for medium term housing and economic development – thousands of properties will be built.
These include the largest planned site at Fellgate at Jarrow, a proposed scheme for at least 1,200 houses which has been vociferously opposed by campaigners.
The pipe leak, which was identified on Wednesday, September 16, led to liquid household waste leaking into the Monkton Burn waterway.
A repair and clean-up operation was launched by Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency was alerted.
Cllr Taylor said the incident was a wake-up warning that proper investment in infrastructure was a necessity.
She added: “This is exactly the kind of concern Green councillors raised when speaking against the Local Plan including the proposed development at Fellgate.
“We have repeatedly warned that you cannot keep adding thousands of homes without making sure the sewage and drainage infrastructure is properly funded and has the capacity to cope.
“Today’s reported sewage leak at Monkton Burn is a very real reminder that our infrastructure is already under pressure.
“Of course, I’m not suggesting this particular pipe failure has been caused by the Local Plan proposal.
“But it does underline why we have been calling for proper investment in our ageing infrastructure before putting even more pressure on it.
“Residents deserve clean waterways and functioning infrastructure and they need to have confidence that development will not come before the basics are in place.”
Northumbrian Water confirmed the leak was caused by a fracture in one of its combined sewer mains and repairs had been carried out immediately.
It said heavily diluted wastewater is believed to have entered the watercourse after passing through surrounding ground.
The Environment Agency also confirmed its officers had attended and had noted a thick layer of sewage fungus lining the burn.