Cornwall Council declares no confidence in South West Water

It took a full meeting of Cornwall Council in Truro, but the numbers left little room for doubt. Councillors voted 68 in favour, with two abstentions and nobody against, to declare no confidence in South West Water.

The vote

The declaration said the company had failed to manage the sewage system, and that despite record bills and government intervention, raw sewage continues to impact Cornwall’s environment and public health. It called on the Government and OFWAT to remove South West Water from the management of the Cornish water and wastewater systems, and to transfer ownership and management to a publicly owned organisation run as a public service.

The motion was put forward for debate by Cllr Loveday Jenkin and seconded by Cllr Dean Evans, and drew support from across the chamber. It followed similar votes of no confidence from 16 town and parish councils in Cornwall in recent months.

Loveday Jenkin told the meeting the motion was not a criticism of the people who work for South West Water in Cornwall, but was aimed at the senior management and the state of the infrastructure.

The sticking point

The call to bring the water company into public ownership was the one part that split opinion. Some members said they could not back the motion because of that wording, though it still passed comfortably with 68 votes for and two abstentions.

Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, spoke after the debate. “One of the key roles for this council is to amplify the voice of our residents and I am delighted we are standing up and saying enough is enough,” he said.

“Despite so many promises, including after a motion I raised myself in the chamber several years ago, nothing has happened. I hope that, by speaking with such a unified voice, the frustrations of our communities are clear to the Government and we can finally see some real change.”

South West Water has not yet responded to today’s vote.

Also at the meeting

The no confidence vote was not the only business in Truro. Councillors approved motions calling on National Highways to review the safety of the A30 at Connor Downs, for SEND reform through fairer funding, and for the Government to give the council the tools to build homes. A motion to protect children in the council’s care from taking part in the nationwide PATHWAYS puberty blocker trial was rejected.

Members also raised concerns over planned changes to national planning policy, which they said would cut the number of applications coming before committee by almost half and weaken their ability to act for residents on controversial schemes. The council agreed to write to the Government about the loss of democratic oversight.