Anna Gelderd asks who paid for £270,000 water boss bonus

A £270,000 bonus has gone to a former water company boss. Now the MP for South East Cornwall wants to know whether your water bill helped pay for it.

The letter to Pennon Group

Anna Gelderd MP has written to Keith Haslett, the Chief Executive Officer of Pennon Group, seeking urgent clarity after the reinstatement of former CEO Susan Davy’s bonus. She called for full transparency and for assurances that any bonus payments are kept completely separate from customer bills.

The letter follows widespread reporting that Susan Davy has been handed a £270,000 bonus. That came despite the discharge of sewage across South East Cornwall and the cryptosporidium outbreak in the Brixham area, alongside many other issues. The sewage scandal and the parasite outbreak prompted an overwhelming public outcry.

Where the money goes

Anna also raised concerns that local people have brought to her directly. Residents in South East Cornwall have said they expect their water bills to deliver services, maintain infrastructure, and protect environmental standards. They do not expect that money going into the pockets of former CEOs.

She told Keith Haslett that public confidence in water companies needs to improve, and asked what steps are being taken to restore public trust after repeated environmental and service failures.

Anna Gelderd, Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall, said:

“People in South East Cornwall should not be paying for the bonus of a former water company CEO who repeatedly failed to deliver for its customers. Local residents already face some of the highest water bills in the country, while our waterways continue to suffer from sewage pollution.

“Enough is enough. That’s why I have written to the new Chief Executive Officer of Pennon Group, Keith Haslett, to demand explanations over whether customer bills have paid for this bonus, and if pollution incidents are taken into account when deciding bonuses.”

A record on water quality

Anna has been raising concerns about water quality and sewage pollution since her election. Her work includes hosting a beach clean at Seaton Beach to collect data for the Marine Conservation Society, raising water quality issues in Parliament, and meeting Water Minister Emma Hardy MP to discuss sewage problems affecting South East Cornwall. She has also challenged senior leadership at South West Water directly on environmental performance and customer impact.

Her campaigning helped the River Fowey in Lostwithiel gain designation as a bathing water site, strengthening protections for local waterways.

📷Anna at Calstock