Comments:

To be pedantic, Cruikshank was motivated in this instance by an outbreak of Cholera. This caricature, believe it or not, is over twenty years before the Great Stink finally caused Parliament to act, and that only because they couldn’t bear conditions within the Houses of Parliament, the Thames stank beyond belief.

and:

 Privatisation of water was going to lead to wonderful things they said .We may pay more initially ,but these privatised companies would invest heavily in infrastructure ,fix leaks and our bills would fall.

They invested in themselves and pumped crap into our rivers and seas ,whilst laughing all the way to the bank.

Same with the privatised railways ,they would invest and our train fares would eventually fall.

I have a letter somewhere from one of the transport ministers after a few years of privatisation saying how wonderful our railway system would become ,with eventually cheaper travel and a wonderful integrated public transport system.

Yes privatisation ,just like Brexit ,worked out really well.

A major redevelopment of Exeter’s Water Lane is a step closer after the city council decided it could force a small number of people out of their homes to make it happen.

Opens up potential for 1,500 new homes on brownfield land. Would this have happened if East Devon had continued as a member of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP)? – Owl

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

 Tan Lane, Exeter (Image courtesy: Google Maps)

The council’s ruling executive has agreed to use its compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers to secure land on a largely brownfield site, if necessary, to make way for up to 1,500 new homes.

It has also decided to hand over a section of council land at its Exton Road recycling depot to create an extra underpass under the railway line on Tan Lane for electric buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

It forms part of the council’s collaboration with a land promoter – the Water Lane Development Management Company – to redevelop the area on the west bank of the Exeter Ship Canal.

The site is one of the city council’s ‘Liveable Exeter’ areas, which it says is “arguably the most exciting large scale brownfield regeneration opportunity in the city,” adding it has been part of development plans for over a quarter of a century.

Explaining the measures, director of city development Ian Collinson told an executive meeting that legal protections included in the agreements means there is “limited, if any risk to the council, both financially or legally.”

He said it is part of a “strategic approach” to use some of their powers to help move the redevelopment project forward.

Councillors were told the proposed new underpass would be a “really key piece of infrastructure,” with a report adding: “The existing [one] isn’t really fit for purpose and if this route can be made safe for pedestrian and cyclist use, whilst also opening up the potential for electric buses, the opportunity should improve the accessibility and permeability of the area.”

However, council leader Phil Bialyk (Labour, Exwick) asked for assurances that help would be offered, if needed, to tenants at Casting House, one of the buildings in the redevelopment site which could be bought under the CPO.

He said there are four privately-rented apartments in the building, adding: “We don’t want to see any section 21 [notices] going on, whereby people are ousted with no alternatives.”

Mr Collinson replied by saying CPOs are a “last resort” and that the developer will negotiate to ensure residents are given “proper notice and proper consideration.”

He added: “We’ll be looking over the shoulder, if you like, of Water Lane DMC to make sure that everything possible is being done to protect those people and ensuring that they are dealt with in a considered way.”

Cllr Martin Pearce (Labour, Duryard & St James), portfolio holder for homelessness prevention, says help will be made available to the affected residents quickly, “because this is a public document now. They know there’s a potential that their property’s going to be up for sale.”

Shorter medical degrees, apprenticeships, and £2.4bn in funding are among the radical plans being put forward to solve NHS England’s severe staffing crisis

‘They should have done this a decade ago’. Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary.

Don’t expect overnight results. – Owl

Megan Baynes news.sky.com 

The long-awaited NHS workforce plan is due to be published in full on Friday, outlining how the service will address existing vacancies and meet the challenges of a growing and ageing population.

It has been hailed as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to put staffing in the service on a sustainable footing over the next 15 years.

Staffing vacancies currently stand at 112,000, with fears shortfalls could grow to 360,000 by 2037.

The additional funding will help train “record numbers of doctors, nurses, dentists, and other healthcare staff” in England, with plans to employ 300,000 extra staff in the coming years. The funding works out at approximately £21,000 per vacancy.

Other plans include consulting with the General Medical Council and medical schools on the introduction of a four-year medical degree – one year less than the five it currently takes to complete – which, alongside a medical internship, would mean students could start work six months earlier.

Student nurses will also be able to take up jobs as soon as they graduate in May, rather than waiting until September as they do at present.

With demand for healthcare staff rising around the world, the Long Term Workforce Plan will set out a path to double medical school training places to 15,000 by 2031, with more places in the areas of greatest need.

More places will also be offered through degree apprenticeships so staff can “earn while they learn”, gaining a full degree as they work towards a full qualification. One in six (16%) of all training for clinical staff will be done this way by 2028 – including more than 850 medical students.

Officials say the plans set out, along with new retention measures, could mean the health service has at least an extra 60,000 doctors, 170,000 more nurses, and 71,000 more allied health professionals in place by 2036/37.

Flexible working and pension reforms for staff

The NHS workforce plan comes at a time when large parts of the health service are striking over the staffing crisis, and levels of pay.

The NHS plan aims to reduce reliance on expensive agency spend, which would cut the bill for taxpayers by around £10bn between 2030 and 2037.

The plan will focus on the retention of staff, with better opportunities for career development, improved flexible working options, and government reforms to the pension scheme, which is hoped will keep 130,000 staff working in NHS settings longer.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “As we look to adapt to new and rising demand for health services globally, this long-term blueprint is the first step in a major and much-needed expansion of our workforce to ensure we have the staff we need to deliver for patients.

“We will take practical and sustained action to retain existing talent, we will recruit and train hundreds of thousands more people and continue to accelerate the adoption of the latest technology to give our amazing workforce the very best tools to provide high-quality care to millions of people across the country each day.”

The NHS will mark its 75th anniversary on 5 July. The prime minister argued the workforce plan was a significant moment in its history.

Rishi Sunak said: “On the 75th anniversary of our health service, this government is making the largest single expansion in NHS education and training in its history. This is a plan for investment and a plan for reform.”

The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, added: “Our plan will end the reliance on expensive agency staff, while cutting waiting lists in the coming years and building an NHS which can match up to the scale of tomorrow’s challenges.”

‘They should have done this a decade ago’

Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responded to the publication of the NHS workforce plan.

He said: “The Conservatives have finally admitted they have no ideas of their own, so are adopting Labour’s plan to train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs.

“They should have done this a decade ago – then the NHS would have enough staff today.”

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Mr Streeting added: “Instead, the health service is short of 150,000 staff and this announcement will take years to have an impact.

“Patients are waiting longer than ever before for operations, in A&E, or for an ambulance.

“The Conservatives have no plan to keep the staff working in the NHS, no plan to end the crippling strikes, and no plans to reform the NHS.”

E.coli has been found in the waters around Blackpool at three times the level considered safe for bathing, campaigners say.

The EA has said it will not publish the results of its testing at the site because it considers the leak an “abnormal” event.

That will do a lot for confidence! – Owl

Steve Robson inews.co.uk 

It comes after i revealed on Wednesday that water quality tests results are being kept secret from the public following a massive sewage leak earlier this month.

Bathers have been warned not to swim along 14 miles of the Fylde coastline following the spill, which took place as a result of a cracked pipe at a United Utilities (UU) wastewater plant.

Neither the water company nor the Environment Agency (EA) has given a timeframe for when the water will safe to bathe in again, despite concerns over the effect on health and tourism in the area.

Normally, the public is able to check the water quality of bathing sites via a regularly updated online government website.

But the EA has said it will not publish the results of its testing at the site because it considers the leak an “abnormal” event.

This can include pollution that is “not likely to occur more than once in four years on average”, according to an EA customer services officer.

Frustrated at the lack of information, Gary Lovatt, a local resident and fishing enthusiast, decided to carry out his own water sampling tests using kit provided by the Surfers Against Sewage charity.

Mr Lovatt received training on how to use the kit from Tim Harris, an expert water quality consultant who previously worked for United Utilities and now trains up “citizen scientists” around the country.

The Aquagenx testing kit changes colour to give a straightforward positive or negative result for E.coli, and can then be sent off to a lab to establish the level of bacteria present.

Mr Lovatt’s test from 14 June, two days after the first sewage leak near Blackpool, was positive for E.coli and lab results showed 830 CFUs (colony forming units) per 100ml.

The government considers anything under 1,000 CFUs safe for bathing.

However, Mr Lovatt’s test on 27 June, around a week after United Utilities admitted there was second release of sewage due to its burst pipe, was also positive for E.coli and lab results showed 3,519 CFUs per 100ml.

Mr Harris said the latest result shows E.coli at more than three times the “acceptable” level for bathing and that this would pose “a real risk to human health”.

It comes after i revealed last year how some of the UK’s most popular wild swimming spots are awash with dangerous levels of bacteria.

At Conham River Park near Bristol, volunteers repeatedly tested the water quality of the River Avon from July to October last year, in partnership with Wessex Water.

They found levels of bacteria consistently above the minimum standard and in one sample taken in August 2021, E.coli levels in the river were registered at 20,000 CFUs per 100ml of water.

The EA says it is continuing to take its own samples but won’t be sharing the data publicly while the pollution incident is ongoing.

“It’s great that the Environment Agency are here and carrying out tests, but they’re not letting the public know [about their results],” Mr Lovatt told i.

“It’s like there’s a big gap of information there, they need to let people know what’s going on.

“I just wanted to know myself. Based on my results I definitely won’t be going in the sea.”

Asked about Mr Lovatt’s result, Mr Harris told i: “It’s a single result and you can read into a single result to a certain extent.

“There’s been a clear deterioration since the first test, the result is a lot higher.”

Asked about the risk of the latest E.coli result, Mr Harris added: “A person of good health, with a good immune system, might get an upset stomach for up to 48 hours.

“It would cause sickness and diarrhoea. “The risk is really for older people, those with weaker immune systems or younger children, they could get particularly ill.”

Caroline Thompson is among a group of local residents who regularly swim in the sea along the Fylde Coast and want water companies to stop pumping sewage into the water.

She thinks the EA should be sharing the latest water quality results so that the public has a better understanding of the current situation.

“I don’t think it’s acceptable, as a sea user and member of the general public I think we deserve to know exactly what is going on with the water,” Ms Thompson told i.

Asked about water sampling results on Wednesday, the EA said: “We have ramped up monitoring along the Fylde Coast to support the assessment of this incident’s impact and the samples we are collecting in the affected waters will form part of our robust investigation which is underway.

“In line with the Bathing Water Regulations, routine bathing water sampling used for long-term assessment of quality has been temporarily suspended to avoid giving an unrealistic classification for normal bathing conditions.

“Our Swimfo website continues to keep local residents informed of the latest bathing water advice, including where and when to swim.”

The EA has been contacted for further comment following the latest E.coli results.

A spokesperson for United Utilities said queries regarding water quality results needed to be directed to the EA.

In the latest statement issued last Friday, United Utilities said engineers are working “24 hours a day” to build a new overground pipe to bypass the one that has fractured.

“When the bypass pipe is up to full flow, Fleetwood wastewater treatment works will be able to run at its full capacity,” the firm said.

“Until then there remains a risk that any further rainfall could lead to further operation of storm overflows this weekend.”

A Blackpool spokesperson said: “There is currently a no bathing advisory notice in place across eight beaches on the Fylde Coast following a pollution incident which United Utilities announced on 13 June.

“It is the responsibility of the EA to determine if bathing is advised or not and to carry out official sampling of the bathing waters. The classification of bathing waters is decided over a four-year period taking many samples. It is also the responsibility of the EA to lift the advisory notice when they deem it safe to do so and we strictly follow this procedure.

“Whilst you can’t currently bathe or paddle in the sea, all of Blackpool’s attractions are very much open including its beaches, piers, The Blackpool Tower, the Pleasure Beach and all the other great things that people come to Blackpool to enjoy.

“We very much look forward to being able to welcome people back into our water to enjoy the sea as well as all the other attractions. We are asking people to follow our social media channels for the latest information.”

DIY water testing on the rise

A spokesperson for WaterSafe UK, one of the largest distributors of water quality testing kits in the country, said an increasing number of people are wanting to carry out tests themselves.

“Some people do it for peace of mind, some people do it because they have a particular concern, maybe if they want to go swimming,” they said.

“I think the awareness has increased around how unclean rivers are and that has made people a little bit more cautious.

“During Covid, a lot of people started to go into their rivers, or swimming outdoors or using paddleboards so in that sense awareness has increased in the last few years.”

WaterSafe UK sells a bacteria kit like the one used by Gary Lovatt that gives a simple Yes-No result on whether water contains E.coli.

“If it’s positive, then potentially you could send it to a lab to be tested if you wanted and find out exactly how many bacteria are in there,” the spokesperson added.

“You need to follow the instructions on the kits, but as long as you are doing it carefully they are reliable.

“You don’t need to be an expert.”

In the Devon bird world a major success is being celebrated after the birth of avocet chicks was recorded for the first time ever in the county. East Devon’s Seaton Wetlands breeding programme effort was awarded with the birth of the two chicks yesterday, June 26.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com

Two avocets were seen foraging in the brackish lagoon of Black Hole Marsh on the Axe Estuary in spring, before a pair were seen mating on the lagoon in late May, settling down to brood eggs on an island by the beginning of June. East Devon District Council’s Countryside Team has been keeping a very close watch on the nest site and the adult birds, both in person and remotely, while the eggs were incubated.

Staff and volunteers at Seaton Wetlands were sworn to secrecy until the chicks successfully hatched due to there being so many factors that could adversely affect a nesting attempt.

Cllr Paul Arnott, East Devon District Council’s leader, said: “This administration has been steadfast in its support for nature and its protection. We understand the importance of caring for wildlife and their natural homes, so we continue to invest in our treasured nature reserves around East Devon.

“We are absolutely delighted to see our efforts are paying off with the breeding of this iconic wetlands species, and would like to thank all the staff and volunteers across East Devon who have made this possible.”

Avocets are very conspicuous birds, with both males and females vividly marked with pied black and white plumage, long pale blue legs and a thin upturned bill. They chose to nest on an island with little vegetation cover. Both birds maintained a high state of vigilance to see off would-be predators, of which there are many on the Local Nature Reserve.

East Devon District Council’s countryside manager, James Chubb, said: “With the female sitting tight on the eggs, the male would stand like a sentry on the northern tip of the island. Anything smaller than a Canada goose was seen off.

“We’ve a lot of crows here too and they weren’t even tolerated in the air above the nest. While the Countryside Team could keep alert for intentional or reckless human disturbance, it was all down to the birds to protect themselves from natural predators.

“We kept the water levels on the lagoon as high as possible during incubation to provide protection from animals such as foxes or stoats.”

Black Hole Marsh was created in 2008 with support from the Environment Agency as part of East Devon District Council’s ambitious Seaton Wetlands complex of nature reserves and setting out the District Council’s commitment to nature recovery at a very early stage.

Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, said: “Strategic plans to attract avocets have long been in place. During that time, winter records of these birds have been regular in most years. Fifteen years on, it is now a magical sight to witness them breeding.

“Because the lagoon was entirely man-made, it was designed to provide excellent bird feeding opportunities whilst giving good views from the hides and vantage points, too. The assortment of islands with differing vegetation all point towards the central island hide accessed via a wooden causeway, surrounding you with birds when you are in this hide.”

Visitors are welcomed to visit Seaton Wetlands to see the avocets’ progress for themselves.

England’s water companies are “environmentally insolvent” because they do not have the financial means to raise the £260bn needed to deal with their sewage spillages, academic research has found.

Rowena Mason www.theguardian.com 

The report, by Prof Richard Murphy of the Corporate Accountability Network and Sheffield University, recommends nationalisation without compensation and raising the necessary funds through government ISAs for the public and higher charges for heavy water users.

His findings come as fears mount over water companies’ high debts, with particular concern about the future of Thames Water. The UK’s largest water company, which serves 15 million customers in London and the south-east, is in emergency talks with the water regulator Ofwat, ministers and government departments amid concerns about its ability to continue operating given a potential £10bn hole in its finances.

Murphy’s report looks at the accounts of nine major water companies, including Thames, and concludes that their estimate that they need £10bn over seven years to end sewage discharges is inadequate. It also says the environment department’s tally of £56bn over 27 years is an underestimate. Instead it finds a House of Lords assessment that the problem requires £260bn of investment more accurate.

The research says the accounts of the nine water and sewage companies show they have been investing less than £4.6bn between them a year on average over the last 20 years. It also found that all of this investment has been paid for with borrowed money and none appears to have been funded by their shareholders, who over that same period took all the profits the companies made out of them by way of dividends, leaving nothing for reinvestment.

Murphy calculates that the net value of the companies is £13bn.His “sustainable cost accounting” analysis suggests that without price increases the water industry will lose almost £16bn a year paying to deal with sewage, largely because of increased interest costs.

“As a result, we think that these companies are environmentally insolvent. That is because we do not think they will be able to raise the finance to ensure that they can meet their contractual commitments to deliver clean water without polluting our rivers and beaches,” the report said.

“To address this issue we suggest that the companies be nationalised without compensationWe suggest that to raise the required capital to fund clean water the government should issue new bonds to be made easily available to the public paying competitive interest rates. These should be tax free like ISAsTo cover some of the costs we suggest progressive water charges.”

Murphy said businesses that can only make money by polluting the planet and the country in which its customers live cannot survive.

“That why England’s water companies should be nationalised now. They are environmentally insolvent. They can only pay their way by filling our rivers with sewage. That has to stop.”

The government has not ruled out temporary nationalisation of Thames Water in the same way that some rail companies were taken into public hands. Labour has also not ruled out nationalising water companies, although Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary, said on Thursday that the party was cautious about the idea.

A spokesperson for Water UK, which represents the nine companies, said: “In England private investment has brought more than £190bn into an industry that was previously starved of cash while improving water company efficiency by over 70%. Meanwhile water bills remain lower, in real terms, than they were a decade ago.

“Nationalising private water companies without compensation would have a profound effect on the pensions of almost 6 million people across the country with household losing, on average, around a £1,000 each.

“Water companies across the UK, and around the world, are facing profound challenges including the impacts of climate change and population growth. Regardless of the ownership model these national and global challenges remain the same.”