‘Residents who swim in our seas still deserve better’
An amended motion calling for action to improve bathing water quality has been approved by Worthing Borough Council after a request to defer a decision until December was refused.
The item was debated at a meeting of the full council held on Tuesday, October 20.
The original motion, proposed by Green councillor Katie Thornton and seconded by councillor Natasha Davie, called on the government to bring failing water companies, and Southern Water, into public ownership.
However, Labour councillor Martin McCabe proposed amendments that replaced the original wording on public ownership, instead calling for legislative reform, stronger public accountability and consideration of options for intervention in failing water companies.
Before the motion was debated, Cllr Hazel Thorpe called for the decision to be deferred until the next full council meeting in December, arguing that councillors had received the amended motion from Cllr McCabe only 24 hours before the meeting and had insufficient time to consider the changes.
Cllr Noel Atkins seconded her request, saying there was ‘far too much detail for us councillors to have absorbed and for us councillors to vote correctly on this motion tonight’.
The request to defer the motion was put to a vote but rejected.
During the debate, Cllr Thornton criticised the changes to her original proposal and said: “Our original wording asks the Secretary of State to do one clear thing: use the government’s power to bring failing water companies into public ownership. Councillor McCabe has crossed out every word of that and replaced it.”
The amended motion was subsequently approved by councillors.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Thornton said: “Labour councillors say they share residents’ anger about Southern Water. Tonight they had the chance to back it with a vote and they chose not to.
“Residents who swim in our seas still deserve better. The Labour administration’s slogan is ‘Fair, Green & Local’ – it’s time they put this into action.”
Cllr McCabe made a statement following the meeting. He said: “I’m delighted that the council has backed my amendments, which slightly strengthen the original motion.
“We all agree that Worthing deserves cleaner seas. But agreeing that pollution is unacceptable isn’t enough. We need practical measures that improve transparency, identify the sources of pollution and hold the organisations responsible to account.
“My concern was simple: we cannot allow the water company to mark its own homework.
“Residents deserve independent, scientifically robust testing that they can trust, not simply information controlled or interpreted by the company whose performance is under scrutiny.
“That’s why I’ve pushed for Southern Water to help pay for independent monitoring, with the Environment Agency, the council and the community organisations involved.
“I am pleased that this stronger approach has now received council support.”