Winsford GPs' 'blue plaque' protest against sewage in rivers

After visiting Eddisbury MP Edward Timpson's constitency officer in Tarporley on Saturday, January 8, protesters from Health for Extinction Rebellion later unveiled a satirical blue plaque at Winsford Marina.

The plaque reads: “Edward Timpson MP voted to block a law requiring water companies to dump less raw sewage in our waterways and seas, October 20, 2021.”

The wording of the plaque refers to how Mr Timpson voted in Parliament on the recent Environment Bill, which the protesters believe doesn't do enough to stop water companies pumping raw sewage into rivers and seas when the drainage networks are overloaded by heavy rainfall.

The group of mostly health professionals want to raise concerns about raw sewage pollution as a potential cause of serious health problems, include gastroenteritis, for people who use the waterways for leisure.  

Protesters from Health for Extinction Rebellion outside Edward Timpson's constituency office (Image: Katherine Fallon)

Katharine Fallon, a retired Winsford GP and spokesperson for the group, said: “We’ve watched in horror as our rivers and seas have become open sewers since October 2021, when Conservative MPs voted down a proposal to stop water companies pumping waste directly into our rivers and seas.

“These blue plaques shine a light on the government’s failure to protect our waterways, the natural world, and all of us, and serve as a warning to the local population.

“Apart from the aesthetics, raw sewage in our local rivers constitutes a major health risk for all those using them for leisure.

“Here at Winsford flashes, people sail, canoe, paddleboard and fish, and they don’t want to run the risk of contracting gastroenteritis which can be fatal for certain vulnerable individuals.”

Eddisbury MP, Edward Timpson, who has previously shared his thoughts on this issue, said: “Extinction Rebellion accuses the government of 'failure to tighten environmental regulations and stop profit-grabbing by water companies', and me of voting for such a policy.

“The government has enacted a new duty on water companies to produce comprehensive statutory Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans; a power of direction for the government to direct water companies in relation to these plans; and a new duty placed on the government to produce a statutory plan to reduce discharges from storm overflows.

“It will be abundantly obvious to anybody that the government has tightened environmental regulations and is stopping profit-grabbing by water companies.”

Mr Timpson also added new duties have been placed on water companies to publish data, in near-real-time and annually, on storm overflow operations as well as a duty to monitor water quality up and downstream of overflows and sewage works.