Council to sell river leisure area to water firm

A council has agreed to sell a river activities site to a water firm despite environmental protests.

The area of Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre in Southampton is being bought by Southern Water, which said it would transfer the leisure part of the site to a scout group for £1.

Protesters said the sale raised concerns for the future health of the River Itchen, while union leaders voiced fears over jobs.

However, Southampton City Council's ruling Labour group said the deal would secure environmental improvements as well as leisure access for young people.

The terms of the sale were approved privately on Tuesday after the press and public were excluded from a council cabinet meeting.

Environmental campaigner Christelle Blunden, who joined a small protest outside, said activists only found out about the plan last week.

She said: "We'd like to see the proposals in the public domain so that they can be scrutinised."

Ms Blunden, who leads the council-backed campaign for Southampton to be declared a National Park City, called for "deeply binding clauses" to protect the site, which is vital for Atlantic salmon.

Recently, the Wessex Rivers Trust warned that salmon were at risk of extinction locally because of barriers in the river.

Liberal Democrat councillor Thomas Gravatt said people were concerned about selling to "a company with a track record of dumping sewage into our precious chalk streams".

However, councillor Toqeer Kataria, in charge of leisure, said: "The proposed purchase is being driven by Southern Water officers on the clean water side of the business who have been tasked with delivering river restoration projects to support drinking water abstraction."

Councillor Simon Letts, in charge of finance, said the council had been subsidising Woodmill by approximately £155,000 a year, while work to maintain the water courses was likely to cost close to £2m.

The sale terms will be finalised by 1 September after public comments on a forthcoming statutory notice are considered, according to the council.

It said the site could later be re-sold by the new owners, after giving the council first refusal, but only with a covenant "restricting the use of the property to be used as a youth camping, water sports, fishing establishment".

The mill building will be retained by the city council, along with current tenant Above Board, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In a statement, Southern Water said it would create a "showcase salmon sanctuary" by reducing sediment, planting trees and redesigning water courses.

Its environment director Dr Nick Mills said: "We're really excited to have the opportunity to make significant environmental improvements to this internationally renowned chalk stream, as part of Southern Water's contribution to support a reinvigorated catchment recovery for the Itchen and the Test."

Southampton City Scouts said it was planning a not-for-profit "water activity centre and youth campsite for Scouts and non-Scouts from across the city".

Additional reporting by Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

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