Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take enforcement action against Thames Water in response to sewer flooding in the Runnymede and Weybridge Constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) assesses all incident reports and responds to those which pose the greatest risk to the environment. The EA has received one recent report of sewer flooding in the Runnymede and Weybridge Constituency (since 1 September 2024). This related to the hydraulic overload of Thames Water’s sewer network and was assessed as having a low impact on the environment. The EA has no plans for enforcement action relating to this incident in line with its Enforcement & Sanctions Policy.
This policy has been in place since December 2023. The current Government is examining ways to strengthen these powers.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to Weybridge sewage works and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from that site.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has required Thames Water to improve the Event Duration Monitoring of storm overflows at Weybridge Sewage Treatment works as part of the current Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) 2020-25. The EA has inspected Weybridge Sewage Treatment Works in 2024 and is currently investigating possible permit breaches at the site. The regulators will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
Further improvement schemes are planned as part of the WINEP 2025-2030 including tightening of environmental permit limits for phosphorous.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the performance standards he expects Thames Water to meet in response to a sewer flooding incident.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency expects water and sewerage companies to take all possible measures to avoid pollution incidents and to mitigate environmental impact if they occur.
Thames Water’s current performance on pollution incidents is unacceptable and the company needs to increase the scale and pace of action set out in its Pollution Incident Reduction Plan.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) ability of river users to safely navigate the Thames river and (b) potential economic impact of the proportion of navigation assets along the non-tidal Thames that are below their target condition.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(a) The safety of river users navigating the non-tidal Thames is a priority for the Environment Agency (EA), although it remains the responsibility of the master of their vessel to ensure the safety of it and everyone on board. The EA have measures in place to ensure the safety of river users which include regular inspections and maintenance of assets, marking obstructions and hazards in the channel. The hydraulic locks on the Thames also have a ‘public power’ setting which reduces the speed that the locks fills or empties, to ensure that they can be safely operated by the public when there is no Lock & Weir Keeper on duty.
(b) The EA engages regularly with businesses operating on the River Thames. The EA is developing a strategic management plan for assets on its navigable waterways. This plan looks to set out the performance of its assets and identify the investment required to maintain these assets to deliver that performance at an acceptable level of risk. Although some assets are currently classed as below required condition this does not necessarily mean they are inoperable.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to sewage works discharging into the river Mole and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from those sites.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has 31 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) schemes in the current investment period 2020-25. These cover the Mole catchment as a whole.
The schemes involve a range of actions including increasing storm tank capacity, investigations at Sewage Treatment Works in the catchment and monitoring. These schemes are on target to be completed by the end of the year and will be reviewed by the EA.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the condition of flood risk assets along the non-tidal Thames on flood risk in that area.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after winter flood season.
The Government is investing over £1.25 billion in 2024/25 to build and maintain flood defences to scale up national resilience. We continue to target investment where it’s most needed to ensure that communities are protected from the devastating impacts of flooding and coastal erosion.
There are currently no flood risk assets on the River Thames within the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. However, the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation scheme (MWEFAS) reduces impacts of Thames flooding. Assessments carried out post-flooding showed that it performed as designed.
Approximately 7% of primary purpose navigation assets below required condition are within Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. Where assets are not at required condition, this identifies that work is needed. It doesn’t present a risk of failure, or compromise performance in a flood, because mitigation measures are put in place such as more frequent inspections by the Environment Agency (EA).
Defra ministers regularly meet with EA leadership to discuss its performance and delivery of departmental priorities.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) flood risk and (b) primary navigation assets along the non-tidal Thames that are below their target condition lie within the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after winter flood season.
The Government is investing over £1.25 billion in 2024/25 to build and maintain flood defences to scale up national resilience. We continue to target investment where it’s most needed to ensure that communities are protected from the devastating impacts of flooding and coastal erosion.
There are currently no flood risk assets on the River Thames within the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. However, the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation scheme (MWEFAS) reduces impacts of Thames flooding. Assessments carried out post-flooding showed that it performed as designed.
Approximately 7% of primary purpose navigation assets below required condition are within Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. Where assets are not at required condition, this identifies that work is needed. It doesn’t present a risk of failure, or compromise performance in a flood, because mitigation measures are put in place such as more frequent inspections by the Environment Agency (EA).
Defra ministers regularly meet with EA leadership to discuss its performance and delivery of departmental priorities.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Environment Agency’s performance on flood risk asset management along the non-tidal Thames; and what discussions he has had with that agency on improving its performance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after winter flood season.
The Government is investing over £1.25 billion in 2024/25 to build and maintain flood defences to scale up national resilience. We continue to target investment where it’s most needed to ensure that communities are protected from the devastating impacts of flooding and coastal erosion.
There are currently no flood risk assets on the River Thames within the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. However, the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation scheme (MWEFAS) reduces impacts of Thames flooding. Assessments carried out post-flooding showed that it performed as designed.
Approximately 7% of primary purpose navigation assets below required condition are within Runnymede and Weybridge constituency. Where assets are not at required condition, this identifies that work is needed. It doesn’t present a risk of failure, or compromise performance in a flood, because mitigation measures are put in place such as more frequent inspections by the Environment Agency (EA).
Defra ministers regularly meet with EA leadership to discuss its performance and delivery of departmental priorities.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to Chertsey Sewage Works and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from that site.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has required Thames Water to significantly improve the storm tank capacity at Chertsey Sewage Treatment works as part of the current Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) 2020-25 to reduce the frequency of storm overflows.
The current completion date for this work is 31 December 2024. The EA will be inspecting the site to confirm the improvement scheme has been completed and will issue an updated environmental permit accordingly.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's (a) actions and (b) policies in managing flood risk from watercourse in riparian ownership.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal change and are the lead authority for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers, estuaries and the sea.
Landowners are responsible, under common law, for maintaining the bed and banks of any watercourses that run through their land in a state which avoids flooding on their neighbours’ or other land. This common law duty also extends to keeping watercourses and culverts clear of anything that could cause an obstruction, either on their own land or downstream if it is washed away.
The EA has published guidance on owning a watercourse on GOV.UK, and has supplemented their riparian guidance with Your Watercourse: rights and roles to help Risk Management Authorities, EA staff, and landowners have more effective conversations on this matter.