A number of Nantwich residents have united to devise a plan to safeguard the River Weaver in the town.
“The Weaver Steering Group” has been formed at the initiative of town councillor Anna Burton and will report to Nantwich Town Council.
Those in the group are drawn from a range of bodies including the Environment Agency, Sustainable Nantwich, Nantwich Angling Society and even the Women’s Institute, which recently resolved that ‘clean rivers for recreation’ should be one of its key aims for the future.
Cllr Burton said: “We welcome anyone who has the well-being of the river at heart.
“We want people to be able to enjoy the look of the river—walking its banks, fishing, even swimming.
“So one of the areas we are studying is trees and vegetation near the water.
“And careful planting and good management can reduce the risk of flooding.
“But we are also concerned with the quality of the water itself. We want to see water quality in the river improved.”
Jeremy Herbert, of Sustainable Nantwich, added: “Recent incidents of pollution in the river have shocked the group.
“In common with most waterways in the UK, the quality of water has deteriorated in the last few years and we want to do something about that.”
The group is now looking for contributions from as wide a range of people as possible.
If you have some expertise you feel could be helpful, contact the Town Clerk at Nantwich Town Council, email [email protected] or ring 1270 619224.
The Group is now inviting local landowners along the River Weaver in and around Nantwich to join them in their meetings.
@ Graham Riddell
More research required.
The water industry in England has been transformed. You forget how bad things were. After decades of government underinvestment, water quality was poor, rivers were badly polluted, beaches badly affected by sewage.
The water industry was not high on ministers’ list of priorities.
Nothings changed then?
Since privatisation, investment of nearly £160 billion has given customers world-class drinking water. Leakage is down a third since the mid-1990s, two thirds of beaches are classed as excellent, compared with less than a third 25 years ago, and wildlife has returned to rivers biologically dead since the industrial revolution.
You can argue about private investment, shareholders, fat cats all you want, but the facts are clear. Things aren’t perfect but they are a heck of a lot better than what they were prior to privatisation.
I wrote to say water companies were taking the public for fools. Pips (who doesn’t give a name) claims the Companies”inject private equity”(see below)
The facts are that in the 30 years since they were flogged off by the conservative government the water companies have paid out about £60bn to shareholders and amassed debts of about £50bn.The water industry was largely debt free when it was privatised. The companies have spent £125bn in capital investment and maintenance but that simply equates to what customers paid in water charges.
In essence, they have borrowed huge amounts to pay shareholder dividends and inflated Chief Executive bonuses but failed to invest in sufficient pipes, sewers or water treatment plants.
No other European country has allowed this shameful exploitation of a natural asset used by every citizen.
On Kingsbourne estate there are several large but empty “ponds”. I thought they were to take drainage water destined for the river in times of heavy rainfall or flood. To help lower the impact of flooding. Has anyone ever seen any water in them – we’ve had several flood instances since they were built?
@graham riddell.
There are many custodians of river water health – its not just the water companies who are responsible. The media do a very good job of continually pointing the finger at private companies, forgetting the fact that huge improvements have been made since the injection of private equity since the early 1990s which wouldn’t likely have happened under public ownership.
Landowners also have a vital part of play as many of the water quality issues are due to poor agricultural practices. Eliminate these along with any unpermitted sewerage discharges, this will be a huge improvement.
Planning laws also need to be strengthened – more sustainable urban drainage rather than allowing huge amounts of water from new developments with impermeable surfaces to flow directly in to rivers. Paved front gardens are not the way forward.
The state of our waterways is a scandal. The privatised water companies are selling British people down the river. Executives line their pockets while the government does nothing. Good that a local group is trying to do something