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Dramatic photos of the Sidmouth cliff fall at the end of last week appear in National Newspapers today

Thousands of tonnes of earth crashed to the ground at the end of last week just under Peak Hill leaving one of Sidmouth’s magnificent properties teetering on the brink. 

Cliff path diversions have been put in place.

Only now are photographs emerging today in National Newspapers showing the true scale of the fall.

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‘It won’t wash’: Environment secretary’s bid to cosy up to water pollution protesters backfires

Is Labour, at heart, an urban party? – Owl

The environment secretary has caused a backlash among groups demanding an end to the pollution of rivers by water companies after a direct appeal ahead of a demonstration backfired. The intervention by Steve Reed, who wrote to activists saying they could trust him with forging change within the water industry, was met with anger by campaigners who said he was avoiding the key issue – that water privatisation has failed.

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

In his letter to members from the 130 groups taking part in the March for Clean Water on Sunday, who include Surfers Against Sewage, the GMB union, the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB, Reed said he shared their anger about record levels of sewage pollution. He wished them a well-attended march and said he looked forward to working with them towards a shared ambition of cleaning up rivers, lakes and seas for good.

But since Labour took power, Reed has ruled out what many who will take to the streets are calling for: the return of the water industry to some kind of public ownership. In making the decision to rule out public ownership, using existing powers available to him under the special administration regime, he was accused of relying on flawed analysis paid for by water companies.

In the letter, distributed by the march organisers River Action, Reed said the independent commission he set up, along with the water (special measures) bill going through parliament, would start the change needed in the sector.

Some campaigners criticised Reed’s attempt to claim allegiance, saying he had failed to address deep-rooted problems in the privatised water industry in England, where ownership has become concentrated in a web of private equity, foreign investment and pension funds.

Becky Malby, of Ilkley Clean River Group, said Reed should use his existing powers to take failing water companies into special administration. She said the public would not tolerate paying increasingly large bills to companies that remained under criminal investigation by the Environment Agency for suspected illegal sewage dumping and the financial regulator Ofwat.

Ash Smith, of Windrush against Sewage pollution, who is scheduled to speak on Sunday, said attempts to win over the marchers would not wash. “Steve Reed is trying to own the march by supporting clean water,” said Smith. “But there is massive public support to end the scandal that privatisation has brought. His refusal to face the facts and to rely on water company-funded fiction about costs is setting captive bill payers up to bail out private equity and keep the unforgivable exploitation going on for another five years.”

River Action said it had concerns about Reed’s repeated references to the need to promote economic growth within the sector. “Our polluted water bodies do not need economic growth,” a spokesperson said. “They need effective and uncompromising environmental protection and regulation. As we can see with recent developments at Thames Water, the financial model of the water industry is unravelling fast and in some cases broken beyond repair.”

Matt Staniek, of Save Windermere, said Reed’s intervention was a weak attempt to pacify public anger. “The government is clearly failing to enforce existing laws and continues to allow private equity to profit at the expense of bill payers and the environment,” he said. “They are proposing measures that fail to address the core issue – that privatisation has failed.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “We share the public’s concern about the health of our waterways, and it is encouraging to see so many people actively engaged in this important cause. This government is committed to cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas and has wasted no time in acting.”

The spokesperson added that the new bill would hold companies to account and ensure they met the high standards the public rightfully expected. “This includes strengthening regulation to ensure water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking, and giving the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met,” they said.

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Value for Money Tsar linked to string of overspends

Owl – speechless!

The government’s new Value for Money chief has headed up several big projects that went massively over-budget.

Jennifer McKiernan www.bbc.co.uk

David Goldstone has previously worked as a top executive on the London Olympics, Parliament’s restoration and HS2 high speed rail.

He will now head up the government’s new Office for Value for Money (OfVM), external, advising Chancellor Rachel Reeves on “how to root out waste and inefficiency”, according to the Treasury.

Downing Street defended his appointment, saying Mr Goldstone is a “highly experienced public sector leader” with a “track record of working on complex high-value programmes”.

Asked if he represented value for money, a Number 10 spokeswoman said “yes”.

Reeves announced his appointment saying it’s “vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending” and his role would “help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending”.

However, responding to the Budget on Wednesday, Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage said Mr Goldstone had “served for many years on the board of HS2, which I would suggest is the very opposite of value for money”.

The resurrected high speed rail project, HS2, had an initial budget of £38bn in 2009, but is now expected to cost at least double that.

Mr Goldstone’s LinkedIn page lists a position on the HS2 board from January to June 2012 and again from 2024, where he is a Treasury nominee, although he does not appear to have been in post in the intervening years.

He was the finance and programme director of the  Government Olympic Executive, delivering the 2012 London Olympics that cost three times as much as expected, coming in at £9bn.

Mr Goldstone was also chief executive of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal project and was mauled by MPs last year for receiving a £168,000 bonus, external, despite delays costing about £100m a year in maintenance costs.

Speaking to LBC, Conservative leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch said there should not be a need for an office to determine value for money.

She said: “We are constantly trying to solve problems with more quangos, more bureaucrats, more politicians. This is not how you deliver growth.

“We should be able to determine value for money within the civil service itself.

“If they cannot do that, then I have no confidence that an Office for Value for Money will know how to do that either – that expertise should already be in the Treasury.”

The OfVM will have a team of 20 civil servants working under Mr Goldstone, who is expected to stay in post for one year, with the “possibility of extension”, according to the Treasury.

Mr Goldstone’s salary is understood to be about £950 per day for an average of one day a week’s work – a total salary of roughly £50,000 a year.

When it was put to Treasury minister Darren Jones that the OfVM salary would be worth £250,000 if he were full-time – significantly more than the prime minister is paid – he told LBC the “rate of return for the improvements… will be far, far greater”.

Jones added: “We can’t expect people to work for free.

“Actually, the day rate for David is, on a benchmark basis, competitive.”

The Treasury has been contacted for comment.

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Planning applicatons validated by EDDC for week beginning 14 October

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28 Oct 2024

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Letter from a correspondent  – Important update on Exmouth Group Legal Claim Vs South West Water

EXMOUTH SEWAGE POLLUTION CLAIM AGAINST SOUTH WEST WATER 

As many readers will know, people in Exmouth have had enough of South West Water, especially as it had devasting effects on our beautiful seafront. For seveal days in the summer season, we had 

a deserted beach and angry visitors, residents and business owners. The reputational damage to Exmouth as a seaside resort could be considered immense. 

Nicky Nicholls, Community and Innovation lead at Sideshore spearheaded a campaign to bring an end to sewage pollution. Businesses, organisations and people affected by sewage pollution came together with the clear message, “Enough is enough.”

Last month, the upstairs room of Ocean on Exmouth seafront was packed full of people interested in finding out more about registering a group legal claim against South West Water. The legal firm who had been chosen to consider acting on their behalf was Leigh Day. 

Geoff Crawford, ESCAPE, posts this account of the Leigh Day “Exmouth v SWW” sewage claim

This led to thousands of people affected by sewage in Exmouth, whether they are businesses or individuals registering an interest in making a claim.

Exmouth Vs SWW: Sideshore have posted an update on their Facebook page.

I registered an interest as I’m not able to swim as frequently as I would like to in the sea. I’m reluctant to take my dog for a walk on the beach, as other pets have been ill and their owners have had to pay vet’s fees. I’m also concerned about the effects it’s having on our tourism industry. I heard about a taxi driver who had seen a decline in business as not so many people were visiting Exmouth. 

On 17th October, I received an email from Leigh Day stating they had now launched the sewage claim against South West Water in Exmouth! To be part of the claim, I had to complete a questionaire which they informed me would take only 2-3 minutes to complete.

Everything seemed straight forward and I was happy to proceed and be part of the no win, no fee group claim. 

I was invited to attend a zoom meeting with Leigh Day on Tuesday, 22nd October at 7 pm. to ask any questions that I may have. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be in the meeting from the start due to technical reasons. However, when I joined the meeting, I was reassured from hearing the legal reprentatives that Leigh Day are a reputable firm of solicitors. It was clear that they will advise us all the way throughout the claim and work in our best interests. If things were going to get unaffordable the solicitors wouldn’t pursue it. If the claim isn’t successful (ie No Win) then the insurance would pay and not the individuals who are making a claim. 

Claim forms were sent out from Leigh Day to those who had registered an interest in making a claim on 17th October. By 22nd October they had already received 500 claims. 

Those interested in making a claim but are unsure about whether they would be eligible might find this slide helpful. 

Who can make a claim? 

Public Nuisance 

1) Impacted hobby eg kitesurfing

2) Impacted dog walker

3) Property owner with decreased house value

4) Business dependent on tourism eg hotel

5) Business reliant on water eg paddle board rental

Private Nuisance

1) Property on waterway

2) Impacted fishing rights 

The representatives from Leigh Day stated that people could contact them directly by email or phone if they had any questions about their individual circumstances. Email: exmouthsewage@leighday.co.uk   Phone: 020 7650 1111

On Tuesday 29th October there is going to be a drop session at the Community Hub, Sideshore, Queen’s Drive, Exmouth for people to ask questions to the Leigh Day legal team from 11.30 to 5.30.

Information for those wishing to join the Exmouth Group Sewage Pollution Claim: https://www.leighday.co.uk/our-services/group-claims/exmouth-sewage-pollution-claim/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGJqLJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfn_Py5pXsjnQFxru6QP40k4WOWiK4aTs460fwc0NfbeVLVUrF5bMp1Sgg_aem_4I72h2D-DJe28ToITkkn4g

Those who have joined the group claim can also join the Exmouth Sewage Pollution Claim Facebook group. Please read the instructions regarding eligibility to be in the group when joining. https://www.facebook.com/groups/852651286856384

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“On the same page” – a correspondent on Tonight’s meeting of interested parties on sewage in Exmouth

This morning, Geoff Crawford, one of the Admin and Group experts of ESCAPE (End Sewage Convoys and Poollution in Exmouth), posted on their Facebook page that there will be a meeting tonight. (Thursday 24th October, 2024.)

“ESCAPE are looking forward to attending the “on the same page”meeting tonight. MP, SWW, EA, ETC, BTC, EDDC, DCC, Sideshore, ESCAPE. Progress?”

MP – Mr David Reed, SWW – South West Water, EA – Environment Agency, BTC – Budleigh Town Council, EDDC – East Devon District Council, DCC – Devon County Council, Sideshore, ESCAPE. 

In the comments on this post, a member of the ESCAPE facebook page asked, “What is this please?”

Geoff Crawford replied, “Its a big meeting of “a limited number of interested parties and SWW and EA so that we can all be on the same page” arranged by David Reed MP. Fortunate that ESCAPE have been included though realistically it is we who have brought this about through pressure. The aim of the briefing session is to inform local elected representatives on the current situation, and to give councillors the opportunity to ask SWW about the feasibility and timelines around their delivery plan.

This will allow all of us to collectively assess and judge SWW’s plans and delivery, and to ensure that we are getting the local network upgrades that we so desperately need. None of us want a repeat of the summer we have just had.”

As a correspondent, it is reassuring that these different organisations are working together. It will be interesting to find out if the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed has replied to the letter that Exmouth Town Council sent him last month inviting him to Exmouth.  https://exmouth.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Letter-to-the-Sec-of-State-re-SWW-no-sig.pdf

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New commission may ban English water companies from making a profit

Water companies in England could be banned from making a profit under plans for a complete overhaul of the system.

The idea is one of the options being considered by a new commission set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) amid public fury over the way firms have prioritised profit over the environment.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

Sources at the department said they would consider forcing the sale of water companies in England to firms that would run them as not-for-profits. Unlike under nationalisation, the company would not be run by the government but by a private company, run for public benefit.

The nonprofit model, which is widely used in other European countries, allows staff to be paid substantial salaries and bonuses but any profits on top of that are returned to the company.

Welsh Water, which runs under this model, has no shareholders and any surplus money is reinvested back into the business or into customer services.

Since Welsh Water was bought in 2001 it has reduced its debt substantially; its ratio of debt to equity has dropped from 93% to 58% since not-for-profit Glas Cymru acquired the company with debts of £1.85bn.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, said: “Our waterways are polluted and our water system urgently needs fixing. That is why today we have launched a water commission to attract the investment we need to clean up our waterways and rebuild our broken water infrastructure. The commission’s findings will help shape new legislation to reform the water sector so it properly serves the interests of customers and the environment.”

The news comes as Ofwat considers how much it will allow companies to raise bills by, with water firms having asked the regulator to let them increase charges by up to 84% over the next five years. All options were on the table to reform the regulators, including abolishing Ofwat, Defra officials said on Tuesday.

Public anger has grown in recent years over the large sums of money made by water bosses in England while water supplies have dwindled and sewage has been spilled into rivers.

There has also been anger at the mismanagement of companies such as Thames Water, which have been loaded with debt and paid shareholders billions in dividends. Since privatisation in 1989, the English and Welsh water companies have collectively paid £78bn in dividends and accumulated £60bn in debt.

Reed said he was not considering nationalisation as part of the review, which would cost “tens of billions of pounds”.

But the commission, chaired by the former deputy governor of the Bank of England Jon Cunliffe, will consider all other options to ensure infrastructure is built and sewage stops spilling into waterways.

Cunliffe’s independent commission will draw upon a panel of experts from across the regulatory, environment, health, engineering, customer, investor and economic sectors. Water company representatives will not be on the panel but will be consulted for their views.

Environmental groups have expressed concern after Defra said the key aim of the commission was to reform the regulators so they encouraged investment and growth. They have said the environment should be prioritised over economic growth, but Defra sources said that without investment, the reservoirs and sewers needed to tackle the climate and nature emergencies could not be built.

James Wallace, the CEO of campaign group River Action, said: “We must not see the environment sacrificed on the altar of economic growth. The water commission must stop vampiric business interests and international investors sucking the lifeblood and money from our waterways and communities. It must deliver a fully funded national action plan to end pollution for profit, enforce laws, and reform regulators.

“Taking a look at our neighbours in Europe shows a range of approaches from wholly nationalised to not-for-profit organisations including a blend of private, public and mutualised models. The key is effective economic and environmental regulation that incentivises operating for public benefit and makes polluters pay.”

Doug Parr, policy director of Greenpeace UK, said: “Too much emphasis on making the sector attractive to big international investors like Macquarie is the exact reason why our waterways are in such an appalling state today. With a natural monopoly on an essential resource like water, we need a regulatory system that forces the industry to provide an acceptable minimum level of service, including an end to the routine discharges of raw sewage.

“If big international investors are unable to make sufficient profit in that environment, then clearly this is not a problem that can be solved by big international investors, and the government will have to do what every other country in the world has done and look at other ownership options.”

Decisions made by the independent commission will not come into force until the 2029 price review. For this year’s price review, which sets water bill levels over the next five years, water companies on Tuesday made requests to increase bills by more than they had at the beginning of the process.

Thames Water is now asking to raise bills by 53% to an average of £667 a year by 2029/30, making them the most expensive water bills in the country. Southern Water is seeking the biggest hike at 84%.

Ofwat will make its final decision for how much water bills can rise on 19 December, but its interim decision made in July said the average bill could rise 21% a year. Government sources confirmed on Tuesday that this number could rise.

The prime minister’s spokesperson said: “Clearly no one wanted to see a situation where water bills are rising, where the water sector has got into the situation that it has, with record levels of sewage spills and ageing infrastructure. From the government’s perspective, our priority is making sure that money goes where it’s needed and ensuring that water companies are putting customers first. If money isn’t spent, it will be returned to customers.”

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Despite some of the lowest future water price hikes we will still be paying amongst the highest bills by 2030. 

Southern Water wants to raise bills by 84 per cent to £772 by 2030, compared with the £603 the regulator proposed. The UK’s biggest water firm, the embattled Thames Water, is seeking a 53 per cent increase in bills. The industry body Water UK has argued that Ofwat’s proposed limits would slow down efforts to clean up rivers and seas with more storm tanks and other measures.

Figures published by Ofwat on Tuesday show that water companies want to raise average bills by 40 per cent by 2030, compared with the 21 per cent, or £94, increase the regulator suggested in a draft ruling in July.

Out of the 11 water companies in England and Wales, it is just Wessex Water that has not requested higher prices since the decision was made in July. On average, companies have called for a 40% increase in bills on average instead of the proposed 21%, as reported by Sky News and www.thetimes.com

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A yes, a no, then a maybe for West Hill development

Plans for new homes in an East Devon village will have to be brought back to planners after votes to approve and reject the scheme failed.

Bradley Gerrard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Thirty-four homes south of Windmill Lane in West Hill, near Ottery St Mary, came close to being approved as long as additional requirements on renewable energy were stipulated.

But when this vote at East Devon District Council’s planning committee failed, another motion to refuse the scheme emerged, largely based on the premise that too many homes were planned, out of kilter with the character of West Hill.

Before that could be put to the vote, though, it was withdrawn once a third motion emerged to defer a decision, with council officers tasked to work with the developer, Strongvox, on a proposal with fewer properties.

Cllr Sarah Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat, Broadclyst) said she believed it was overdevelopment. “There are too many houses on the plan,” she said.

“I do think the site can be developed but that 34 is too much, and so if the proposal to reject the scheme can be withdrawn, then I would propose a deferral so that the council can consult with the developer to see if the numbers on the application can be adjusted.

“I would rather do that than risk the applicant appealing.”

When refusing applications, councils must be confident they can defend their reasons in front of a planning inspector because if they lose, they are liable for the costs of the proceedings and have to approve a scheme they wanted to block.

West Hill Parish Council is also worried about overdevelopment. It said the village had already provided around 80 dwellings, more than it needed in order to comply with East Devon’s local plan.

“In addition to the current proposal, there are two other significant planning applications in West Hill, as yet undetermined, which could provide a further 54 dwellings,” comments provided by the parish council stated.

“Excessive levels of new house building will put pressure on the infrastructure of the village – notably primary school provision, secondary school provision, health services, and public open space and recreation facilities, and also on community cohesion.”

The developer had proposed 35 per cent of the homes on the site be ‘affordable’, together with a cash payment to the council in lieu of an additional 15 per cent affordable properties. It is not clear whether that will be impacted if the developer brings forward a scheme with fewer homes.

Earlier, some councillors had been encouraged by the renewable energy aspects of the scheme, with all homes set to have air-sourced heat pumps.

A proposed stipulation to ensure solar panels had also been considered and installed where suitable also proved popular with some councillors.

But the motion to approve the scheme failed because seven members voted against.

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22 Oct 2024

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A Correspondent suggests the “ducking stool” could be the ultimate solution

A correspondent comments:

Excessive pollution, excessive blah, blah blahing from those responsible

The ultimate solution must be the ducking stool – in and out of the polluted waters until those responsible admit their guilt. Put the results on YouTube and earn tax payers some compensation.

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Water bosses bonuses rise to £9.1m despite Britain’s rivers sewage scandal

Reinforcing failure amongst the “Captains of Industry” (again) – Owl

Water company executive bonuses have increased despite the fact sewage spills into British seas and waterways hit record levels last year, an analysis has found.

Kyriakos Petrakos inews.co.uk

Bonuses paid to executives of water companies across England and Wales increased to £9.1m in 2023/24, rising by more than £120,000 from 2022/23, even though sewage was dumped into waterways for 3.6m hours last year, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

Thames Water executive bonuses nearly doubled, rising from £746,000 in 2022/2023 to £1.3m in 2023/2024, despite its chief executive quitting halfway through the year as the company teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.

Severn Trent bosses received the biggest payout, with three executives earning an eye-watering £3.3m in bonuses.

This was followed by three executives at United Utilities, who were paid nearly £2.5m in bonuses, and four executives at Yorkshire Water, who received almost £1.1m.

“It is a national scandal that these bonuses are being paid out by firms who disgustingly pollute rivers, lakes and beaches,” said Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat’s environment spokesperson.

“These executives are pocketing more every year whilst sewage levels rise. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.

“The last Conservative government shamefully let these disgraced firms get away with it, and now the new Government has to step up.

“These bonuses are an insult to the British public and must be banned straight away. The Liberal Democrats will push for a vote in Parliament to ban these bonuses whilst sewage continues to flow.”

A spokesperson for the industry representative Water UK told i: “Almost all of these bonuses were paid by shareholders, not customers, but all companies recognise the need to do more to deliver on their plans to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers.

“We now need the regulator Ofwat to fully approve water companies’ investment plans so that we can get on with it.”

Water company executives’ pension contributions also rose to a new high of nearly £1.7m in 2023/24, marking an increase of more than 8 per cent over the previous year.

Thames Water alone paid its executives £754,000 in pension contributions in 2023/24, despite the fact the firm was placed under “special measures” by Ofwat as it struggled to address its £15.2bn debt burden, raising concerns that it would collapse into a publicly-funded administration.

Base pay for water company executives also remained at more than £9m in 2023/24, with the chief executive at Northumbrian Water paying themselves £483,000.

“How do any of them have the gall to accept a bonus in any shape or form with what is going on?” said Jo Bateman, a sea swimmer from Exmouth, Devon.

Ms Bateman, 62, is taking South West Water to court over sewage spills in her local bathing spot and will be starring in a documentary, Jo In The Water, about Britain’s sewage crisis.

She told i: “A bonus is a performance-related payment and the water companies are getting worse, year on year.

“Even if they weren’t getting worse, they should not be polluting our rivers and seas. As long as they continue to do that, I do not know how they could argue that they deserve performance-related bonuses.

“Whether they are legal or not, their behaviour is atrocious. It’s diabolical across the board.

“From a completely apolitical viewpoint, I think bonuses should be banned.”

An Ofwat spokesperson told i that, under current legislation, it lacked the powers to fully ban bonuses for water company executives.

“However, our powers do allow us to intervene to block customers from paying for these bonuses if we determine that they are not aligned to overall company performance for the benefit of customers and the environment,” the spokesperson added.

“We will soon be making an assessment of all companies’ decisions, and we will publish our findings in due course. This will be the first year these rules have come into force.”

Water companies are allowed to discharge sewage during periods of exceptional rainfall to prevent their systems from being overwhelmed, but concerns have been raised over how often this has been happening.

Caz Dennett, 53, of Weymouth, Dorset, has boycotted her bill payments to Wessex Water since April 2023 in protest of the firm’s poor wastewater services.

Commenting on the bonus increases, she said: “It’s shocking that they are on the increase when they should be zero.

“It’s outrageous and it would be good to know what is the basis for those benefits.

“I fail to understand how they are justified. What it will do is further enrage the public who are already massively fed up, angry and sickened by the level of sewage being discharged.

“It’s in every brook, stream, river and lake across our country and this is going to enrage people even more.”

Paul de Zylva, sustainability analyst at Friends of the Earth, said: “Water bosses are cashing in ahead of the Government’s promised crackdown on executive pay. There are too many loopholes in how bonuses are currently set.

“It seems the more they pollute, the more bosses are rewarded for failure. Now, as water companies push the regulator to allow them to charge consumers even more from 2025 onwards, this bonus bonanza looks set to flow on.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: “For too long, water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

“That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against persistent law-breakers.

“We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.”

Ahead of the general election, i called on all the major parties to sign up to its five-point manifesto to tackle sewage pollution and save Britain’s rivers, seas and waterways.

Some of the measures laid out in the manifesto will be introduced in the new Water Bill, such as tougher powers for the regulator Ofwat and increased prosecutions against water companies.

But i is urging the Government to go further by raising EA funding in the Budget later this month as well as offer farmers grants to reduce agricultural pollution.

The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have signed up to the manifesto, but Labour and the Conservatives are yet to back it in full.

Sir Keir Starmer praised the i manifesto, but stopped short of fully committing to its five pledges.

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David Reed MP is being “played” by South West Water – Feargal Sharkey

Text of the X post: Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey

“South West Water ‘willing to bring money forward’ for Exmouth repairs, MP says. South West Water is willing to bring money forward to hasten sewer repair work in Exmouth, according to the town’s MP David Reed.” Oh dear. Yet another MP being played by the local water company. Wouldn’t that be right @David__Reed.

This is the source of Feargal’s commments:

Exmouth MP says SWW is willing to bring money forward for repairs

Bradley Gerrard www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

South West Water is willing to bring money forward to hasten sewer repair work in Exmouth, according to the town’s MP David Reed.

Mr Reed says he met with the firm’s chief executive Susan Davy to urge her to speed up remedial work and improvements to Exmouth’s sewage infrastructure.

He said external consultants hired by the company had assessed the state of sewage pipes.

Sewage spills in August led to Exmouth’s beaches being closed at the height of tourist season, prompting anger from residents, while a burst pipe in Imperial Road near estuary in July also caused issues.

The company assured residents that no spillage had entered the water.

Mr Reed campaigned about sewage spills before the general election, and said he is working so the community can hold SWW to account.

“We’ve had a litany of mistakes over the past few months, with multiple burst pipes, local beaches closes, businesses affected and tourism hindered,” he told Radio Exe’s Devoncast podcast.

“We’re starting to get a reputation nationally for all the wrong reasons, and we’re in this position because of South West Water’s behaviour and unwillingness to put structural engineering funds in and to do the work over recent years.”

Mr Reed said Ms Davy and Richard Price, the company’s new managing director for waste water services, understood the “magnitude of anger felt by the local community” and were “willing to bring money forward”.

However, he acknowledged that SWW would need approval to do this from the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat.

He has asked a minister from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to meet with him and Ms Davy, so that “we have that other lever to make sure SWW is doing what it says”.

Mr Reed said the report on Exmouth’s sewage pipes, produced by Pell Frischmann Consulting Engineers, would be shared with county, district and town councillors, as well as with campaign groups, such as Escape (End Sewage Convoys and Poollution Exmouth).

He hoped to convene a meeting with interested parties “to make sure everyone understands what’s happening”.

“It becomes a really difficult situation when there are multiple different narratives online and in person about what is happening, so I want to bring everyone together into one room to allow them to be briefed by the Environment Agency and SWW to get a balanced view,” he said.

“I want them all to be briefed on what the report says and what SWW’s plans are in the short- and medium-term to put the relevant fixes in.

“By doing so, that will allow us to collectively put pressure on SWW as we are speaking with one voice.”

SWW did not respond to requests for comment.

However, in an article on its website last month attributed to Mr Price, the firm said it had tasked “over 100 people working around the clock to fix the issue” after a pipe burst at Maer Road.

He added that the leak in the sewer from Maer Road pumping station to Maer Lane waste water treatment works on Wednesday, August 14 was stopped “within two hours so we could start work on a temporary solution to bypass the damaged main so that a permanent repair can be made”.

“We know how disappointed residents and visitors to Exmouth are,” he said.

“I would like to reassure you that we are doing everything we can, as quickly and thoroughly as possible, to ensure your local wastewater network is fit for the future.”

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Sewage Wars – The Establishment Strikes back!

Water watchdog chief seeks to stem consumers’ sewage lawsuits

A director of England’s water regulator is spearheading  a campaign that could make it harder for consumers to sue water companies that breach legal sewage limits.

Oliver Wright, Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com

Seema Kennedy, a former Conservative minister, is the executive director of a group that is trying to tighten the funding rules for class action lawsuits and end what it calls the “predatory claims culture”.

Critics have claimed that her role represents a conflict of interest amid a continuing legal battle between consumers and five of Britain’s largest water companies over untreated sewage.

Kennedy is also a paid senior adviser to the lobbying firm Global Counsel, which works for the industry body that represents all the UK’s big water companies. Global Counsel has also previously carried out work for the anti-class action campaign.

Government rules state that directors of public bodies must ensure that “no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between your public duties and your private interests, financial or otherwise”. In a statement Kennedy said there was “no conflict” with her position at Ofwat and other paid roles.

Kennedy was appointed as the executive director of Fair Civil Justice in 2022 — two years after being appointed by ministers as a non-executive director of Ofwat.

Fair Civil Justice campaigns for restrictions on third-party funding of class action that cover legal costs in exchange for a share of any awarded damages or settlements.

They describe such cases as “predatory litigation” that is a “drag on growth”. However, anti-pollution campaigners have said that such restrictions could potentially damage cases such as a class action being brought against Severn Trent water and potentially five other water companies.

Lawyers claim that the companies provided misleading information to Ofwat and the Environment Agency by under-reporting sewage pollution.

This, they claim, allowed the companies to charge bill payers more than they otherwise would have been able to. The claim is brought on behalf of twenty million customers, who may have been overcharged by between £800 million to £1.5 billion.

Professor Carolyn Roberts, emeritus professor at Gresham College in London, who is the lead claimant in the case, said that it had only been possible to bring the case because of outside funding. “It would not have been possible to bring my case and hold these companies to account without the support of litigation funders and the expertise of lawyers,” she said.

However, the Fair Civil Justice campaign said it had not had any involvement “whatsoever” with any water company and “had not commented on any ongoing litigation involving the water sector”. “We remain committed to speaking up on behalf of British businesses and consumers,” a spokesperson said.

Kennedy said she had “always complied with all legal and regulatory requirements, including regular disclosures in line with Ofwat’s conflicts of interest policy”.

She added: “I have provided some limited advice in my role as part-time adviser to Global Counsel, but this has never included any water company or mandate in which the firm is engaged  in.”

A spokesperson for Ofwat said: “Seema Kennedy has declared her role at Fair Civil Justice. We are satisfied that this does not present a conflict with her role at Ofwat.

“Seema acts as a senior adviser to Global Counsel, providing insight and advice on specific matters when requested. Again, this role has been declared. She has always made it clear to Global Counsel that she would not be able to provide advice in relation to the water sector.”

In a statement Global Counsel said: “Global Counsel manages potential conflicts of interest in accordance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements.”

It comes as one large water company was issued with an unprecedented reprimand by the UK’s data watchdog for wrongly keeping sewage pollution data secret.

United Utilities become the first water company to be hit with a special enforcement measure by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over failure to comply with transparency laws.

The watchdog said it had received “numerous complaints” from the public over compliance by the water company, which serves the northwest of England and illegally dumped millions of litres of sewage in Windermere in February.

The ICO said United Utilities had repeatedly claimed that information people had asked for under Environmental Information Request (EIR) rules wasn’t environmental, when it clearly was. The firm has previously refused requests by The Times’ Clean it Up campaign, arguing that timings of raw sewage spilt into waterways wasn’t environmental information.

“Any information that would enlighten the public about how United Utilities operates and the impact it has on the environment is, by its very nature, likely environmental — this includes data on sewage spills and the performance of its wastewater treatment works,” Warren Seddon, director of FOI at the ICO, said.

United Utilities said it was committed to being more transparent and would consider the recommendations set out by the ICO.

A spokeswoman said: “We handle hundreds of Environmental Information Requests (EIRs) every year and, in a handful of cases, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) clarified that the information we were asked to provide did fall under the scope of EIR. We have followed that clarification since we received it several months ago. We are receiving an increasing number and wider scope of EIRs and have recruited additional and dedicated resources to help us deal with these.”

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Time for regime change at County next May?

More on Devon second homes council tax may be spent on highways

About £15m of extra revenue from doubling council tax on second homes in Devon could be spent on roads, according to a leaked letter seen by the BBC.

Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

District councils are responsible for collecting council tax but it is Devon County Council that decides where the majority of the money will go.

The leader of a district council that is introducing 200% council tax for second homes from April 2025 said he and other leaders were told most of the extra money would be spent on highways.

The leader of the county council told the BBC no final decisions had been made ahead of the budget being set in February.

Council tax will be doubled in areas covered by South Hams District Council, North Devon Council and East Devon Council from April 2025.

Julian Brazil, Liberal Democrat leader of South Hams District Council, said: “The tax was brought in because of the problem we have around housing that second homes create.

“So it only seems fair that the money we raise is spent on housing.”

Brazil said it was “incredibly disappointing” the county council had indicated the extra cash would be spent on roads.

“We’ve got a massive opportunity here and we can make a real difference – we know what we need in our communities and that’s genuinely affordable housing,” he said.

Brazil also pointed to a report carried out by the Devon Housing Commission, external which recommended “that Devon County Council utilise a significant proportion of receipts from second homes council tax to help meet the county’s housing and infrastructure needs”.

Emma Hookway set up the campaign group North Devon and Torridge Housing Crisis to raise awareness of housing issues in the area.

“When the revenue is being made off the back of saying we’re in the midst of a housing crisis and we’re going to target second home owners it seems absolutely wrong to then put that money into another pocket,” she said.

Ms Hookway said she would like to see the money used to improve standards in temporary accommodation.

The leaders of all eight district councils in Devon signed a joint letter to the county council leader, James McInnes, in August which said the extra council tax revenue arose “specifically from the fact that local people are being denied the opportunity to own or rent that home”.

The letter said: “We trust you will look at the challenges being experienced by local people facing housing issues and allocate these resources accordingly.”

In the written response from McInnes, he said the question of where to spend extra council tax cash would be “just one element of a complex juggling act”.

He said the council’s current priority was “tackling the problems with our highway and transport networks”.

‘Work together’

Speaking to the BBC, McInnes said: “I don’t think all the money will go into highways.

“Some district council leaders are saying we’re going to solve the housing crisis in Devon by doubling second homes council tax.

“You’re not going to do that – it’s far bigger than that. We need to work together with the district councils and with Homes England to put together a plan that’s likely to get money way beyond second homes council tax coming into Devon to really solve the housing crisis in the long term.”

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 16 September

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 23 September

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 30 September

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“It’s the sand wot done it”

After the “wrong leaves on the line” stop the trains; we now learn that abrasive sand is the cause of the sewers wearing out!

Note: according to a report in the FT, less than 12 per cent of the sewage network in England and Wales was built in the 19th century, undermining water industry claims that outflows of raw effluent and storm water are a result of antiquated Victorian infrastructure.

The majority of the network was instead built in the years before privatisation, with approximately a fifth constructed during the 1960s and 1970s, according to data analysed by consultancy Arup and campaigners Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. – Owl

Sand and grit blamed for damaging pipes – some more than a century old

Bradley Gerrard, LDRS hellorayo.co.uk 

A new report on the state of Exmouth’s sewers largely blames sand and grit for causing slow but sustained damage to underground pipes.

The 24-page document by consultants Pell Frischmann was commissioned by South West Water in the wake of recent damage that caused untreated sewage to spill, leading to beach closures at the height of tourist season.

The red-flagged beaches prompted the town’s MP, David Reed (Conservative, Exmouth and Exeter East), to request a meeting with Susan Davy, the water company’s boss, with the four-week investigation by Pell Frischmann instigated shortly after.

A key conclusion of the report is that in most of the town’s rising mains – pipes which rise in level towards sewage treatment plants (STPs) – sand and grit is dragged up with the flow of effluent, scratching the inside of the pipes as it goes.

Once the pumps that push the sewerage up these rising mains stop, that very same sand and grit rolls down the same pipes, causing further scouring.

“Once the surface of the liner or pipe wall itself is compromised, failure becomes a matter of time,” the report states.

It added that with the exception of a rising main at Imperial Road, “the majority of the bursts show a similar pattern of wear and penetration of the pipe wall.

“It is noticeable that many pump stations that ultimately feed Maer sewage pump station are located in areas close to the seafront and collect flows direct from roads and hardstandings affected by wind-blown sand,” the report stated.

Exmouth’s sewerage system also deals with flows from Lympstone, the hamlet of Sowden, Sandy Bay Holiday Park and Budleigh Salterton, the majority of which can be affected by wind-blown sand because of their proximity to the coast or estuary.

Quantifying the problem

While 2024 has been a bad year for bursts in Exmouth, with incidents cited in the report at Imperial Road, Lime  Kiln, Maer Road and Phear Park this year alone, Pell Frischmann claims the town does not have an disproportionate  problem.

When comparing it to nine similar systems in Devon and Cornwall, the Maer Lane sewage treatment works has suffered an average 6.5 bursts per 100 kilometres of rising mains per year between 2018 and 2023, lower than 10.7  for comparative locations.

The figure for 2024 is 17.3, but Pell Frischmann said even if this was included in averages for 2018-2023, Maer would still come out below the average.

In terms of questions for SWW, the report highlights that pipes analysed from Maer Road and Phear Park did not have concrete linings, which can help lengthen their life.

Phear Park had a zinc coating on the outside, but did not have further protective measures such as plastic wrap.

Pell Frishmann said that since 1995, all ductile iron sewerage pipelines are internally coated with a thin layer of high alumina cement and the outer surfaces with zinc protective paints and “in particularly aggressive ground conditions, pipes can be sleeved with polyethylene and tape wrapped”.

Before 1995, however, there was no requirement for a standard protection.

Imperial Road’s rising main had an internal concrete lining and zinc protection on the outside as well as a polythene sleeve.

‘Constantly under attack’

The time taken to wear away part of a pipe depends on many factors, the report noted, including sharpness and hardness of debris inside, as well as the thickness of the pipes.

The first burst of the Phear Park rising main is thought to have happened in 2001, just eight years after being installed. The 10mm thickness of the pipe is possibly a key reason it failed far more quickly than Maer Road’s, which at a 22mm thickness lasted some 40 years before having its first burst in 2011.

“If sand and grit is constantly fed into the system (as is the case in Exmouth) there would be a continuous cycle of replenishment to allow the invert to be constantly under attack,” the report noted.

But Imperial Road’s pipe seems to have been corroded from the outside.

A contractor who previously replaced a section of it told Pell Frischmann that “various extraneous objects” were encountered during the excavation process to reach the pipe, “with a car chassis being one example”.

“It would therefore appear that the ground through which the main was laid was made ground and probably contaminated with a number of oils, chemicals or other substances that attacked the pipe,” the report said.

“This contaminated ground may have been identified during the design of the main as the pipes were wrapped in polyethylene, but it would appear that this protection was insufficient to prevent attack.”

Other factors

A previous surge analysis report recommended two air valves be installed in the Phear Park sewage pumping station to help manage pressure in the pipes.

Over-pressurisation, commonly known as surge, occurs in rising mains when pumps are stopped suddenly, or fail completely, or during sudden operation of valves.

“These two air valves have not been installed to date, due to construction constraints,” the report said.

“Pressure monitors are installed on both the Phear Park and Maer Road mains. The data for these has been requested but has not been received to date.”

Residents may want to know why those valves were not installed, and why the data from pressure monitors was not provided to Pell Frischmann, even though the contractor notes “there is little evidence that indicates that over-pressurisation of the rising mains is an issue or is a contributary factor to the mains failures”.

The report contains no details about around 15 bursts of the Underhill rising main prior to the early 2000s. Only two are said to have occurred since.

“Due to this apparent discrepancy, it is possible that the original main has been replaced or relined over the affected section, but South West Water have no record of any work being undertaken to replace or reline this main,” the report states.

Phear Park’s 2001 burst also has “no recorded information alongside it”.

Ageing systems

While critics may not see it as justification, most of Exmouth’s sewage pipes are also likely to be decades old and laid prior to South West Water taking on responsibility for them. Some could even be centuries old.

The Pell Frischmann report says the sewerage network accepted surface water run-off to reduce the frequency of flooding “especially when the railway was built in the 1860s and blocked run-off routes to the River Exe”.

Most of the 12 sewage pump stations in Exmouth’s system predate the formation of the South West Water Authority in 1974.

Only Phear Park (1993), Imperial Road (1996) and Lime Kiln in Budleigh Salterton (1994) were built under SWW’s ‘Clean Sweep’ programme, following privatisation in 1989.

In SWW’s favour, the report states that sections replaced in Exmouth in the past “have been undertaken using high performance polyethylene, and where this has been done, the burst profile has radically reduced”.

But looking into the future, Pell Frischmann said it is difficult to know how long the newer materials would last under the same conditions the iron pipes have suffered.

“High performance polyethylene pipelines are relatively abrasion resistant, but there is limited investigation on the resistance of polyethylene pipes to abrasion from different materials and, therefore, there is always a risk that the same damage mechanism may be at work within the replacement polyethylene pipelines,” the report added.

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Government housing targets unrealistic and unfair, English councils warn

Councils have raised the alarm over what they describe as unrealistic government targets for new housing, saying these penalise local authorities when the fault often lies with developers sitting on sites that already have planning permission.

Land banking is always ignored by governments who like to blame sluggish planning authorities. – Owl

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

Local authorities have also complained that targets under the proposed new national planning policy framework (NPPF) for England are sometimes totally unrealistic, both in terms of what can be built and, in some cases, the amount of homes needed.

It follows earlier concerns that the wording of the NPPF, which is being consulted on, could result in large expanses of pristine green belt being built over so councils can reach their targets.

The leaders of every political group on one council, including Labour, have written jointly to Angela Rayner warning that councils are “being set up to fail” with a planning framework based on an overly simplistic view of the housing market.

Under the NPPF, set out in July with a blueprint to deliver 1.5m homes this parliament, all regions apart from London must plan for thousands more homes. Councils that fail to deliver could risk penalties or even a takeover by ministers.

The joint letter to Rayner, the housing secretary, by Arun district council in West Sussex says the authority has approved more than 8,000 planning permissions that have not been built by developers, and that simply adding new numbers to a target will not alter this.

“The proposed NPPF changes appear to rest on the premise that the planning system is solely responsible for the shortfall in housing delivery and thus continue to penalise councils for missing housing targets,” it reads. “This is simply not true.”

Martin Lury, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, who signed the letter with the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, Greens and two independent groups, said that while they all recognised the need for new homes, local infrastructure was “cracking at the seams”, and available land was limited by the South Downs national park and flood plains.

“The message is: stop penalising us for things that are beyond our control. It’s unfair. This isn’t about our planning system. We’ve delivered what they wanted,” he said. “If they are serious about increasingly affordability, they need to do what we did in the 1950s and invest very heavily in social housing.”

Mike Northeast, who leads Arun’s Labour group, said the centrally imposed targets ignored local factors, not least the 8,000 unbuilt approved sites.

He said: “We support what the government is saying about building more affordable homes – but not, when it comes to us, about councils dragging their feet. It’s developers land banking, and it doesn’t seem fair that it’s us who should be penalised.”

The leadership of another council in the south of England, Waverley in Surrey, has also written to Rayner to warn about the new planning targets, saying it was expected to deliver 3.4 times more homes in the next 20 years than in the previous two decades.

The Lib Dem-led council said the plan was “simply unachievable” in an area where building was heavily constrained by the Surrey Hills national landscape – the new term for an area of outstanding natural beauty – and that the planned new housing far exceeded projections for local population growth.

Joe Harris, the leader of the Lib Dem group on the Local Government Association, who is also the leader of Cotswold district council, said many councils he had talked to were increasingly concerned about the targets.

“We all want more affordable housing, but just setting a housing target and saying you’ve got to meet it isn’t addressing the core issues that strangle housing – land availability, developers land banking, and the perilous financial situation which many councils are in,” he said.

Harris described the target for his own council as “crackers – it’s not going to happen. It’s just not deliverable in terms of the land availability.”

He added: “Eighty per cent of my district is a national landscape, which means you can only build really strategic developments in the 20% which isn’t. And of course, that puts huge pressure on infrastructure.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We are in a housing crisis so all areas of the country must play their part in ending it by building the homes we need.

“We will work in partnership with councils to deliver 1.5m homes over the next five years, and our new housing targets better respond to affordability pressures to ensure homes are built where they are needed most.”

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EDF reportedly seeking up to £4bn from investors to finish Hinkley Point C

It was due to be up and running in 2012 at a cost of €3.3 billion. Puts this call for more funds into perspective.

Those with long memories will remember that Hinkley C was considered one of the “golden opportunities” to regenerate and double our local economy in 20 years by “Heart of the South West (HotSW)” our Local Enterprise Partnership. – Owl

Jillian Ambrose www.theguardian.com 

The French energy company EDF is reportedly in talks with investors to raise up to £4bn to finish the delayed Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, Britain’s first new nuclear reactors in a generation.

The utilities company, owned by the French state, has approached investors to help cover the ballooning cost of constructing the nuclear plant, which is understood to have reached almost £50bn due in part to supply chain issues and struggles securing skilled engineers, according to Bloomberg.

EDF is reportedly engaged in talks with sovereign wealth funds and large infrastructure funds to raise the extra money through a bespoke financial instrument that would hand investors a stake in Hinkley while protecting them against the risk that the project is not finished.

Hinkley Point C is due to begin generating electricity by 2030, according to EDF – five years later than first planned and 12 years after construction began. The project’s costs have also spiralled, from £18bn when its contracts were signed in 2016 to £47.9bn in today’s money.

The cost overruns and delays are understood to be in part due to spending on extra safety measures to satisfy UK authorities, and trouble securing skilled engineers after Brexit.

A team of specialist engineers at the Hinkley site, represented by the trade union Prospect, voted to strike for 24 hours from Thursday after pay talks broke down. The union said the engineers had not had a pay increase in the last four years.

The financial pressure on the project has deepened after EDF’s partner, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), a state-run company, declined to plough more funding into the project beyond its contracted term in 2023.

CGN has scaled back its interest in investing in the UK after tensions between Westminster and Beijing over security concerns made it clear that a Chinese company would not be given permission to lead a nuclear project in the UK.

In response, EDF has called on the UK government to stump up the cash to help finish the project, which will only benefit from bill payer subsidies once it begins generating, but the suggestion was rebuffed by the previous government.

One of the companies considering an investment in the troubled project is Centrica, the owner of British Gas, which has previously been linked to investment talks relating to EDF’s planned nuclear project at Sizewell C in Suffolk. The FTSE 100 company is reportedly in early talks to invest up to £1bn in Hinkley Point C, according to the Daily Telegraph.

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Investing in new nuclear reactors would help to secure future electricity supplies for Centrica, which holds a 20% share in all five of EDF’s remaining UK nuclear power stations, four of which are due to close this decade.

Centrica is understood to be interested in investing in either Hinkley or Sizewell – but not both.

EDF and Centrica declined to comment.