A HUGE thank you to everyone who came along to the United Utilities drop-in event in Staveley on 31 January. The hall was buzzing with people making their views heard about the state of the river Kent, the sewage on Staveley’s streets, and the actions – or inaction – of United Utilities to tackle the problem.
BBC Northwest, BBC Cumbria and Border News attended to interview our head campaigners Isobel Stoddart, Sheila Adam and Arthur Capstick from Staveley with Ings Parish Council – here are reports from the BBC and ITV Border.
After constructive and positive discussions with United Utilities, we’ve created a collective statement from Staveley with Ings Parish Council and the Clean River Kent Campaign.
In summary:
– An integrated solution will be pursued, involving all relevant partners, to reduce the use of combined sewer overflows into the River Kent and to address sewer flooding occurring in the streets.
– United Utilities confirmed its intention that investment in its wastewater treatment works and sewer network would take place by 2030.
– Immediate improvements to be delivered in 2024 include increasing the capacity at the Staveley Wastewater Treatment Works and a UU-funded investigation into the cause of ingress of surface and ground water into the sewerage network, with a solution identified by December 2024.
– Parties commit to working together to find solutions and will meet regularly to ensure action and momentum is maintained.
You can read the full statement here.
Thank you to Nicola Fearnley Photography and members of CRKC for taking photographs at the event.
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