Isle Of Wight MP Responds To Environmental Bill Vote Criticism

The Isle of Wight's MP has been accused of talking "absolute sewage" after voting down an amendment about waste being dumped into rivers and coastlines.

Bob Seely has hit back however, saying comments are "ill-informed" and he does wants to see the end of sewage discharge.

Mr Seely was one of 268 MPs to vote against Wednesday's Environment Bill amendment.

It was tabled to "place a new duty on sewerage undertakers in England and Wales to make improvements to their sewerage systems and demonstrate progressive reductions in the harm caused by discharges of untreated sewage."

His decision came in for criticism from other Isle of Wight politicians, including the Isle of Wight Green Party's Vix Lowthion. 

She said:

“This Environment Bill is an incredibly important piece of post-Brexit legislation, which Greens in the House of Lords have been influential in shaping, and I am astonished that our MP is throwing aside this vital opportunity to prioritise protection for our rivers, beaches, countryside and wildlife in this way.

“For too many days this year, Islanders have been unable to swim in the sea safely as raw sewage is being discharged off our beaches. One hundred days ago, Southern Water were fined a massive £90million for dumping sewage into the environment. And now we have an MP who refuses to legislate to stop it happening again.

“The Island deserves a lot better than an MP with the appalling voting record of Mr Seely.”

Mr Seely has previously raised concerns about Southern Water's practices after a number of water discharges were reported in the Isle of Wight's waterways. 

Back in August Isle of Wight Radio revealed how a number of Isle of Wight beaches had been affected by sewage releases.

In a letter to the MP, the Isle of Wight Council's Cabinet member for Environment, Heritage and Waste management, Cllr Jonathan Bacon, accused Mr Seely of "failing to serve the Island". 

He said:

"I was shocked, amazed and perplexed to see that you recently voted against a provision in the Environment Bill designed to curb the release of raw sewage into our rivers and seas

"In acting in this way, putting it simply, you have failed to serve the Isle of Wight.

"In many areas of the Island, including the village of St Helens which I represent, there have been serious concerns raised throughout recent months about the release of raw sewage onto seafront areas

"The amendment to the Environment Bill which you voted against was specifically designed to address this issue and to provide protection for water and our environment. On an Island reliant on its beaches to support its tourist economy the potential importance of the amendment was even greater.

"Your vote also runs wholly and totally against the undertakings you made in a meeting we recently both attended designed to call Southern Water to account for recent perceived failings in the management of our water infrastructure.

"What were you thinking?

"Please tell us, as I and many residents of the Isle of Wight would appreciate an explanation as to why you took this course of action.

"And it better be good!"

Bob Seely has since responded to criticism. Explaining his reasonings behind Wednesday's vote, he said:

"First, I need to prioritise. I am due to meet with minsters next week in regards to the fair funding formula. That is my priority and I need to increase my chances of having a sympathetic hearing. Whilst opponents of Boris’ Government may wish to seek any opportunity to vote against it, I am mindful of getting the best deal I can overall get for the Island, and on occasions that means sometimes expressing my concern or opposition in private rather than public. 

"Second, I spoke during the Environment Bill debate on the importance on doing more to protect SSSIs - Sites of Special Scientific Interest - and I wanted to focus my attention on that issue, knowing that others were talking in regards to sewage discharge, because as you know one of our SSSI sites on the Island is under threat. 

"Third, this is not the final vote on water and sewage. There should be another vote later this month. Perhaps it would be helpful if I explain what is going on, as it would prevent some of the more ill-informed comment. 

"Several MPs, including myself, have told the Government that they need to find a solution which ensures that water companies clean-up their act. The question is how? If the time frame is too tight, water bills will increase steeply at a time when families are already facing higher bills. Too slow, and nothing is done. Therefore, the Government is working to find a solution which will mean we end sewage discharge soon at a price that bill payers - i.e. Island families - can afford.  I hope that a successful compromise will see a duty on water companies to end sewage overflow built into management plans. That is the goal. 

"This week’s vote was effectively on an initial amendment, and for reasons outlined, my voting for or against would make no difference to the final outcome.  Potentially, another vote will take place next week or the week after. If a compromise is not reached, any potential rebellion will be larger, and potentially also supported by people like myself. The last conversation I had with Government on this issue was this morning (Friday), and I again made my intention clear. It, and firms such as Southern Water, needs to find a solution to end sewage discharge."

He continued:

"For the record, the Government has already adopted large parts of the Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill to clean-up England’s inland waters. I was one of the first supporters of that Bill.

"Whilst you and others are criticising, it is also worth pointing out that the Environment Bill will place environmental ambition and accountability at the heart of government. I am pleased that legislative measures contained within the Bill will address the biggest environmental priorities of our age, ensuring that we can deliver on the commitment to leave the natural world in a better condition than we found it. These include legally binding targets on biodiversity, air quality, water, and resource and waste efficiency which will be established under the Bill. The Bill will also give Ministers the powers to tackle storm overflows. 

"Further, the Government has amended the Bill in the Lords to include a new, historic, legally binding target on species abundance for 2030, aiming to halt the decline of nature. This is a pioneering measure that will be the net zero equivalent for nature, spurring action on the scale required to address the biodiversity crisis. A forthcoming Green Paper will also explore how ministers might deliver their world-leading domestic ambitions for nature, including how to improve the status of native species, such as the water vole and the red squirrel, and protect 30 per cent of our land by 2030. 

"I repeat, I want the water companies to clean up their act. I have to balance this important goal with other things that I am trying to get from Government. Since I became MP, we are getting more from government now than at any point in the past fifty years. That needs to continue."