Agenda

Members of the Council are requested to declare any interests which they have in any items or issues before the Council for determination.

To receive communications from the Mayor and any announcements by the Leader of the Council or the Chief Executive on matters of interest to the Council.

To answer questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given, on any matter relevant to the Council or its services to the community. Up to 30 minutes will be set aside for this purpose. If time permits, further questions will be invited from members of the public present.

To receive and consider the recommendations to the Council contained in the following minutes of:

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation is attached.

Report of Cabinet Member for Housing Services attached.

Report of Cabinet Member for Corporate Affairs and HR attached.

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council on the work of the Cabinet and to answer written questions from Members of the Council to the Leader, Cabinet Members and Chair of a Committee on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Borough, provided the necessary written notice has been given. (30 minutes)

A member may ask a verbal question of the Leader, any Member of the Cabinet or Chair of a Committee about any matter on the Council agenda and which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Borough.  Only one verbal question per Councillor. (20 minutes)

(A)          A combined authority update report is attached, for information.  The focus of this update is the Greater Manchester Waste Authority.

(B)          The GMWA representative will then be invited to present a verbal update on the work of the Authority (5 minutes).

(C)          Members will be allowed to ask verbal questions on the verbal update (5 minutes).

(D)          Questions (if any) on the work of the Combined Authority to be asked by Members of the Council for which the necessary notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rules. (10 minutes)

Council considered a notice of motion received from Councillors Carol Birchmore, Donald Berry, Andrea Booth, Des Duncalfe, Glyn Marsden, Mike Smith, Mary Walsh and Ken Simpson:

Motion – Reducing discharges from combined storm overflows (CSOs)

Councillors Carol Birchmore, Cllr Donald Berry, Cllr Andrea Booth, Cllr Des Duncalfe, Cllr Glyn Marsden, Cllr Ken Simpson, Cllr Mike Smith and Cllr Mary Walsh.

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have been seen by the water sector as a necessary ‘safety valve’ in the sewer system to prevent sewage backing up during periods of extreme rainfall.

Experts within the water sector disagree on the level CSOs are being used within their permitted conditions, and how much they are abused as a cheap alternative to treating sewage.

CSOs combine raw sewage with other pollutants in rainfall runoff from pavements and roads, they discharge a wide range of contaminants such as faecal pathogens (including bacteria resistant to antibiotics), industrial chemicals, sanitary products, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, heavy metals, oils, and solids such as wet wipes. This cocktail,discharged into our rivers, has negative impacts including:

• Risk to public health through contact recreation in rivers and potential risk via airborne bacteria and pathogens.
• Chronic and acute effects upon aquatic wildlife.

The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan updated: 25 September 2023, relating to the Water Industry Act 1991, presents a target that water companies will only be permitted to discharge from a storm overflow where they can demonstrate that there is no local adverse ecological impact. It is difficult to believe that you can discharge into any body of water without an “adverse ecological impact”, and it is important that this stipulation is not seen to only apply to rural idyl sites but rather to assign ecological importance to all water bodies. The report gives a target as limiting pollution, to ensure that all storm overflows would only be used in the rare case of unusually heavy rainfall, if at all.

In December 2023 the Government reported that 100% of storm overflows across the water network in England have now been fitted with Event Duration Monitors (EDMs). As a result of the monitors being fitted, the Environment Agency is now able to provide data for each of the CSOs.They can identify number of spills (discharges) and the total number of hours the spills lasted. The map makes it easy to view the data and it provides the location of each of the CSOs. The map shows that there are around 27 frequently used CSOs within Bury MBC which includes around 8 in Radcliffe positioned along the River Irwell. The data for 2023 showsincreasing discharges compared to 2022, and 2021 when monitoring of CSOs was first introduced.

The data from the EDMs shows that the number of “spills” in 2023 from CSOs at Blackford Bridge WTW and the CSOs along the River Irwell in Radcliffe is 702, for a total duration of 6,845 hours, which is equivalent to 285 days or 78% of the time. Despite the weather in  ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Attached.

None.

Questions on the work of Outside Bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented to be asked by Members of the Council (if any).