No confidence motion against Wessex Water dismissed before vote

A proposed motion expressing no confidence in Wessex Water was dismissed before it could be debated at a council meeting on 17 September. The motion, filed by Green Party councillors in Bath and North East Somerset, criticised the water company for repeatedly discharging untreated sewage into local waterways.

However, the motion was ruled inadmissible by the meeting chair, Councillor Shaun Stephenson-McGall (Liberal Democrat, Timsbury), who cited a “six-month rule” preventing the council from voting on the same issue twice within half a year. This decision came after the Green motion was judged too similar to a Liberal Democrat motion passed in July, which focused on recognising the rights of the River Avon and included commitments related to the council’s role, while the Green motion called primarily on the government to nationalise water companies.

The Liberal Democrats stated that the exclusion of the motion had been decided days earlier on the advice of the authority’s monitoring officer. When questioned about a recent event attended by Mr Stephenson-McGall-the 20th anniversary celebration at Bath’s Thermae Spa hosted by Colin Skellett, former CEO of Wessex Water and current group chief executive of YTL UK, the company’s owner-a Liberal Democrat spokesperson denied any connection to the ruling.

Green group leader Joanna Wright (Lambridge) expressed frustration at the last-minute removal of the motion, saying they had complied with all procedural requirements. “It was put on the agenda and then suddenly we were informed it breached the six-month rule,” she said, also noting that the timing prevented them from submitting an alternative motion. Ms Wright raised concerns about the monitoring officer’s decision during the meeting but was advised not to discuss individual officers.

Outside the council meeting, a small protest supported the Green motion. Protester Benazir Jatoi voiced disappointment that the no confidence vote would not proceed, describing the situation as “a failure of the senior executive team to manage the agenda process.” She highlighted ongoing water issues and pointed to Wessex Water’s recent approval of an £80,000 pay rise for their CEO, contrasting this with Environment Agency figures showing over 190,000 hours of sewage discharged in local waterways where Wessex Water is responsible.

Storm overflows, which release rainwater and untreated sewage directly into rivers and seas to avoid sewer backups during heavy rainfall, have been a long-standing but contentious feature of the UK sewage system. Wessex Water manages sewage treatment across Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, and the Bristol area, while also supplying water to most of those regions.

The withdrawn Green motion had stated: “The sewage crisis continues to be a national scandal. Successive governments have failed to take any meaningful action to stop it and have allowed it to get worse.”

In nearby Cornwall, similar frustrations led to a no confidence motion against South West Water in July. This was supported by approximately 60 town and parish councils involved in the cross-party Dowr Glan (Cornish for “clean water”) campaign, amid reports of sewage discharges at popular beaches.

On its website, Wessex Water acknowledges that storm overflows have been part of the UK sewerage network for many years and asserts that while these overflows have “little impact on water quality,” they are not appropriate for modern standards. The company adds that immediately eliminating all storm overflows would cause significant disruption and substantial financial cost, including widespread roadworks and increased water bills.

Wessex Water has committed to reducing harm from untreated sewage discharges by targeting overflows that operate most frequently and have the greatest environmental impact. The company plans to invest £8.5 million per month over the next five years on improvement schemes aimed at these issues.