Penzance Council declares vote of no confidence in South West Water
Systemic failure of sewage management prompts call for intervention
Penzance Council has declared a vote of no confidence in South West Water following a meeting on Monday.
The council expressed serious concerns over the ongoing mismanagement of the sewage system in Cornwall despite increasing bills and government attempts to address the issue.
According to Penzance Council, these persistent failures have had detrimental impacts on the environment and public health in the region.
Joining other councils in Cornwall, Penzance Council has signed a collective letter to the Secretary of State, demanding South West Water's management be removed via a Special Administration Order.
South West Water is set to be sentenced this week after admitting multiple pollution-related charges over six years across Devon and Cornwall.
In a statement, South West Water said: "We recognise concerns about water quality in Cornwall and we continue to work proactively with councils through regular bespoke briefings to explain our local plans and deliver improvements.
"We’re investing £760 million to tackle storm overflows and have reduced spills by 17% in the last year, with spill duration down by 25%. We know there is more to do but the data shows the plan is working."