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:
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 2023 being wet, this does appear to be excessive and very worrying. It almost feels as though the River Irwell is being treated as an open sewer.
Unfortunately, The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan appears to concentrate on areas where open swimming takes place, giving them top priority status but surely it is not acceptable to ask residents in densely populated areas to endure such high levels of pollution in our rivers.
The recent actions of the councillors in Rochdale regarding the Pilsworth Landfill site show that Councils can raise awareness of environmental issues and ask large companies for action plans to address them. Through this motion we would like to achieve the same level of public consciousness of this issue and prompt the Government and other stakeholders to ask for action on this issue.
This Council resolves to:
Council considered a notice of motion received from Councillors: A Arif, Bayley, Boles, Cummins, Farooq, Fitzgerald, Frith, Gold, Green, Grimshaw, Haroon, Hayes, Hook, Ibrahim, McGill, Morris, Moss, O'Brien, Pilkington, Quinn Alan, Quinn Deborah, Rafiq, Rahimov, Rizvi, Rubinstein, Ryder, Smith Lucy, Southworth, Staples-Jones Gareth, Tariq, Thorpe, Walmsley.
Request the mandatory conditioning of Swift Bricks into new developments in Bury
This Council notes:
Swifts are an iconic migratory species that grace our skies each summer with their thrilling acrobatic flight displays, they have nested alongside us for centuries, thus providing opportunities for people to engage with nearby nature, which is now well recognised to be of great value to our well-being.
Swifts and House Martins are “building-dependent” species, House Sparrows and Starlings partially so. However, as the new Biodiversity Net Gain Metric does not consider buildings as habitat, provision for them is not counted within the metric. It is, however, encouraged by the Design Codes thus these species require specific inclusion within Local Planning Policies.
A further challenge in that modern housing is designed to ensure properties lack any gaps or spaces, such as would be used as for breeding sites by urban bird species and bats too.
When combined with the continued reduction of potential nest sites on existing buildings caused by refurbishment and repairs, this overall loss of breeding opportunities has resulted in a long-term dramatic decline of urban birds. Swifts, House Sparrows, House Martins and Starlings, all now red-listed, by the British Trust for Ornithology, indicating species of high conservation concern. Thus, without proactive policy we stand to lose many species, causing further deprivation of nature in urban areas.
It has been recognised that integrating nest bricks into the structure of the new buildings is a much-preferred solution over bird boxes; they are a permanent feature of the building, require zero maintenance, are aesthetically integrated within the design, less vulnerable to vandalism and have better thermal regulation with future climate change in mind.
Furthermore, analysis of breeding records from new housing estates built with integrated Swift bricks has shown that these spaces are readily used by both Swifts and other urban bird species, particularly House Sparrows; thus, Swift bricks are a universal nest brick for small bird species.
Best-practice guidance has recently been made available with the publication of British Standard BS42021:2022 Integral Nest Boxes – selection & installation for new developments
This Council resolves to:
1) Request that the Council accepts that best practice, in the form of British Standard 42021:2022, should be proposed and adopted within the new Bury Local Plan.
2) Ensure that any plans to re-roof Bury’s Council Housing stock be seen as an opportunity to install Swift nesting boxes, especially if there is evidence of existing nests.
Council considered a motion received in the names of Councillors Arif, Bernstein, Brown, Gartside, Harris, Hussain, Lancaster, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon.
PROMOTING AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND VISIT BURY
THIS COUNCIL NOTES THAT:
Ensuring an inclusive and accessible environment is not just a matter of compliance but a fundamental right and a testament to our community’s values some of which are embedded in the Let’s Do It Strategy.
There are several actionable strategies which this Council can implement to improve the quality of life for blind and partially sighted people who both live and visit our Borough.
THIS COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
The actionable strategies include;
Accessibility to and improvements on public transportation
Enhancing the role of technology and digital accessibility
Improve community awareness and education
Improve accessibility to and inclusivity of employment opportunities
Ensure social and recreational opportunities for blind and partially sighted people are accessible
THIS COUNCIL RESOLVES
To undertake a feasibility study to consider all matters that need to be considered to improve accessibility and inclusiveness for blind and partially sighted people living and visiting our Borough.
The feasibility study to include contributions from all partners and interested parties
For the Chief Executive to report back on this matter by January 2025 Council.