Raw sewage has been flowing from manholes into a rare chalk stream in Berkshire for more than two months as Thames Water’s infrastructure has struggled to cope with continuing wet weather.

Lucie Heath inews.co.uk 

The village of Lambourn, that sits within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been littered with toilet paper, tampons and “lumps of faeces”.

Samples of the River Lambourn by the local river’s trust found phosphate – which damages rivers and aquatic life – in quantities more than 100 times the recommended level for the protected watercourse.

Thames Water said the problem was a result of the area experiencing one of its wettest winters on record, which has resulted in groundwater levels reaching a 30-year high.

i has reported on multiple incidents of raw sewage flowing through villages, gardens and into rivers this winter as water companies across the UK have struggled to cope with heavy rainfall.

Months of wet weather has resulted in rising levels of groundwater, which is water found underground in the space between soil and rocks. This groundwater can infiltrate through cracks into sewage infrastructure, causing pipes to overflow.

In Lambourn, this contaminated water has been flowing out of three manhole covers down the streets and into the river.

Thames Water has set up a filter that separates solids before this water enters the river, however the water is not being treated for pollutants. Local campaigners claim some solids are still making their way into the river.

Pictures from the village show the streets littered with toilet paper and human waste.

Contaminated water flowing into the River Lambourn (Photo: Action for the River Kennet)

Anna Forbes, the senior project officer at Action for the River Kennet (ARK), the local river’s trust for the area, said the problem is not new for the village. However, the situation has been particularly bad this year, with sewage flowing out of the manholes for the past 10 weeks, she claimed.

“It’s just horrible that you’ve got this beautiful little village and yet people are walking through untreated sewage.

“It absolutely stinks. You feel like you’re breathing it in… there are places where you can’t avoid walking through it.”

On Saturday ARK carried out testing directly where the sewage is entering the river and found phosphate levels at 4.42mg/litre, which is 110 times higher than Natural England’s recommendation for a body of water with the same protections as the Lambourn (0.04mg/litre).

Thames Water said it regularly monitors water quality of the River Lambourn and said this testing shows “a minimal impact on the environment because the flows are heavily diluted by the groundwater and surface water run-off”.

High levels of phosphates are damaging to rivers as it causes algal blooms, which can starve aquatic life for oxygen.

Nutrient pollution is a particular concern for chalk streams, such as the Lambourn, because they are a globally rare habitat.

Ms Forbes said: “There are only 260 of them [chalk streams] in the world and 224 of them – so over 85 per cent – of them are here in England.

“And when they’re healthy, because of their unique qualities, it’s a really fragile ecosystem that sustains a wealth of wildlife. So things like mayfly, brown trout, water voles, otters, kingfishers, all these wonderful native species we’ve got, but many of them rely on the river being healthy, with good water quality being key.”

Thames Water said: “We’re sorry that customers have been affected as our sewers have become overloaded by floodwaters in the River Lambourn area. The excessively heavy rain that the region has experienced means the groundwater and river levels remain very high in this area and the ground is saturated. A significant amount of this water is entering the local sewer system and causing flooding from manholes.

“We are working hard to keep our sewers flowing and to prevent further flooding. We’re carrying out daily clean-ups where the manholes have been overflowing in Lambourn and we’re using tankers at our sewage pumping station in Upper Lambourn 24 hours a day to help manage excess flows in the sewers. We also have a filter unit in place near Lambourn fire station, which uses a pump to take the excess water out of our foul sewer, so it can be screened and then safely returned to the river.

“We’re continuing to work closely with the Lambourn Valley Flood Forum and we continue to investigate where groundwater and surface water is getting into the sewer system. We’ve previously installed 10.1km of leak-tight liners in our sewers, and have sealed 122 manholes in the local sewer network.”

Covid infections in the UK are at their lowest level in nearly three years, tumbling to just a fifth of the level they were before Christmas, according to the latest figures.

Tom Bawden inews.co.uk 

Official data shows that 0.9 per cent of the population in England and Scotland – less than 1 in 100 – had Covid in mid-February, compared to 4.6 per cent in late December.

This is the lowest level since July 2021 decline was helped as immunity from boosters and previous infections built up and the weather warmed up.

The figures were reported in the latest UK Health Security Agency and ONS infection survey.

However, while scientists welcomed the drop in infections, they cautioned that the virus is not going anywhere.

They warn that it will be around for years to come – probably at lower levels and with fewer spikes, but still present and with the possibility of a resurgence if a nasty new variant develops.

They say a new wave is likely in the autumn with smaller spikes also a possibility later in the spring or in the summer – depending on whether dangerous new variants develop, how well immunity holds up and how many people get a booster in the spring.

“Covid infections are here for ever. They will never go away,” said Professor Paul Hunter, of University of East Anglia.

(Source: UKHSA. The gap in the graph relates to a period in which the government stopped surveillance.

He predicts “a series of waves”, driven by the weather – with more cases in the winter – and contagious new strains, known as escape variants.

“I know we will see another wave in the autumn and we can say pretty definitely that infections will peak each year around December and January for the rest of our lives – although the burden of disease from Covid will continue to decline over coming years,” he said.

“Whether we see significant spring summer peaks is uncertain. Unless a new escape variant appears any spring or summer peak will probably not be that great.”

Professor Steve Griffin, of Leeds University, thinks it more likely we will see a resurgence in the next few months.

“I would be surprised if we don’t see another wave before the summer given the rate at which the virus is evolving and the absence of effective vaccination since autumn.

“The total lack of public health mitigations continues to be detrimental, causing absence, loss of work and profound health issues. Just because this isn’t winter 2020/21, it doesn’t mean we can ignore it. To live with something, we must understand and adapt, not pretend it isn’t there.”

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, agreed that “there is no room for complacency” despite the fall in Covid cases.

“Covid is here to stay. It is still circulating and, more worryingly, changing. We are likely to be confronted with new virus variants that could be more infectious and more able to dodge the immune protection from vaccination,” he said.

“There is also the worrying issue of the long term consequences of infection and increasing evidence that this virus can lurk in our bodies for many months after initial infection.”

Professor Young says there was a risk of a new round in the coming weeks and months as people start to mix more, although he expects any peak to be well below previous records.

“We need to keep an eye on infection levels over the next few months as people start to mix – particularly at various big events, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup next week – and start travelling abroad on holidays over Easter.

“It is very unlikely that we see levels of infection that we experienced in previous years but the behaviour of this virus is unpredictable. So much will depend on whether new virus variants emerge and the levels of immunity in the population.”

He added: “The big question is what will happen with boosters over the Spring. The current advice is that only adults aged over 75 years, residents in care homes, and anyone aged six months or over who is immunosuppressed, will be eligible for free Covid vaccines.

“There will also be private access to them from April at £45 and appointments are now bookable. How many people will decide to have a booster jab and what this will mean for levels of population immunity is another uncertainty.”

Professor Rowland Kao, of Edinburgh University, is hopeful that things are improving but says we “are not totally out of the woods yet”.

However, “the longer we go without another major variant of concern that leads to massive rises in severe cases, then the more optimistic we can be.

“I would like to see what happens this summer. If we go through the summer without further major spikes – remember we had smaller surges in May and September last year – I would be more confident that Covid is settling down into more of a seasonal and predictable pattern.

“This would still be important because of the illness it does cause, but means it is more likely to be predictable the way seasonal flu, RSV and others are. And predictability matters a great deal.”

It’s not much different to one previously rejected.

Plans to knock down the former council offices at the Knowle in Sidmouth for a care and retirement development have been submitted for approval again after being refused in January. 

Will Goddard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

But the only change is the removal of a handful of balconies from one side of a block of retirement flats. 

East Devon District Council (EDDC)’s former HQ, which was also once a hotel, was severely damaged by fire in a suspected case of arson last March. 

Retirement homes specialist McCarthy and Stone wants to demolish it and build a 70-bed care home, 53 assisted living apartments for over-70s and 33 apartments for over-60s, as well as non-age-restricted properties in the form of four semi-detached homes and a terrace of three townhouses. 

A former caretaker’s building would have been kept, and another purpose-built structure erected, for bat habitats. 

EDDC’s planning committee refused the application two months ago on grounds the design of the two southerly blocks would not have reflected “local distinctiveness”, and the block of flats for over-60s with its “large windows and balconies” would have been too overbearing on properties in Knowle Drive to the west. 

The fresh plans ask permission for the same as before with only a minor change: removing the second-floor balconies on the western side of the over-60s block. 

This will “provide a lessening of impact… upon the residential and visual amenities of the occupiers of neighbouring [properties] in Knowle Drive”, according to planning documents. 

They also hope the revised plans will allow “more detailed discussions” with EDDC to address the reasons for refusal, which could lead to further changes and “potentially avoid the need to take the scheme to an appeal”, planning documents say. 

So far, members of the public seem largely unimpressed by the new proposals, with 23 objections and two comments in support. 

David and Naomi Hogg, objecting, describe the removal of the balconies as a “minimal attempt to address the issue of overlooking and overbearing”.  

They said: “It fails to recognise the significant overbearing effect caused simply by the fact that this three-storey block would be built on substantially higher ground than that of the neighbouring properties on Knowle Drive.” 

But Norma Pearce writes in support: “As an elderly resident of Sidmouth and an intended future occupant of this comprehensive development… The current amended proposal re: removal of balconies is an appropriate price to pay, to preserve the privacy of nearby residents.” 

Oops! – Owl

Surrey’s last district and borough council with a Conservative majority has gone to no overall control.

BBC news South East

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, one of 11 lower tier councils in Surrey, had a Conservative majority of one after 2023’s local elections.

But with Councillor Zelanie Cooper, who represents Lower Kingswood, Tadworth and Walton, stepping away from the Conservatives, the council is left without a majority party.

The Surrey Conservatives have been contacted for comment.

Ms Cooper said she had left the party over concerns about candidate selection, meaning the Conservatives now have 22 of 45 councillors.

She said: “With the support of a significant number of local residents, who believe that local councillors should represent them in local elections, I have chosen to step away from the Conservative Party.”

She will stand as an independent councillor at the next local election on 2 May, when one third of councillors will be up for election.

Surrey County Council still has a Conservative majority and all 11 Members of Parliament for Surrey represent the Conservative Party.

They include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in South West Surrey and Michael Gove in Surrey Heath, the Secretary of State for levelling up, housing and communities.

Surrey’s two tier system means the responsibilities for different services lie with either the county or the district and borough councils.

A Reigate & Banstead Borough Council spokesperson said any decision needed regarding political balance of the council would be taken at the next full council meeting on 28 March.

Elsewhere in Surrey, at May 2023’s elections the Liberal Democrats took control of Guildford and Surrey Heath and increased the majorities they already had at Woking and Mole Valley.

Other councils are run by residents’ parties or as coalitions between parties, while Runnymede Borough Council is led by a Conservative, who have 19 of the 41 seats.

Analysis

By Jack Fiehn, BBC Radio Surrey political reporter

The political control at Reigate & Banstead could change soon, either following a council meeting at the end of March or the local elections at the beginning of May.

For example, at the elections, the Conservatives could make the gains they need to retake overall control. Or they could lose seats, altering the calculation again.

But it is worth taking a moment to mark the contrast in the Tories’ fortunes.

As recently as 2015, the party had majorities on and ran 10 out of 11 of the borough or district councils in Surrey (Epsom & Ewell being the exception).

Now it is only Reigate & Banstead and Runnymede where they are still the main force.