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Pipeline plans causing concern and anger

Nicola Goodwin
BBC Midlands Investigations team
BBC Members of the Onny Preservation Group, environmentalists, anglers and land owners, holding placards protesting against the planned pipeline BBC
The Onny Preservation group are campaigning against the planned pipeline

More than 200 people packed into Bishop's Castle Community College, to hear more about controversial plans to build a pipeline to move waste water.

Severn Trent Water wants to build the four-mile pipe to take treated sewage from its plant in Bishop's Castle and discharge it into the River Onny.

Currently, the water enters the Snakescroft Brook, which runs into the River Kemp and in turn the River Clun.

The meeting, organised by Severn Trent, had to be moved to a larger venue as so many people wanted to attend.

The event included a presentation by Natural England, but local campaigner Andy Boak said he was disappointed the Environment Agency and Shropshire Council were not present.

The River Onny winding through the countryside. It has a grass bank on one side and shingle on the other. Woodland and hills can be seen in the background.
The River Onny is home to wildlife such as kingfishers and salmon

Severn Trent is required to upgrade the treatment works in Bishop's Castle to improve the quality of Snakescroft Brook, which is currently failing to achieve good status under the Water Framework Directive.

The Clun is protected by law as it is a conservation area, but the Onny does not have the same status.

Local anglers and conservationists, however, say the Onny is home to wildlife including otters, and kingfishers and a vital breeding ground for brown trout, grayling and Atlantic salmon.

A petition against the pipeline has so far attracted 8,500 signatures.

Ludlow mayor Beverley Waite wearing a light-coloured blouse and blue jacket in front of a placard reading: "Severn Trent stop the pipe"
Ludlow mayor Beverley Waite said the Onny and Teme needed to be protected

Mayor of Ludlow Beverley Waite has said she is concerned about the impact on the Onny, which flows into the River Teme.

"We have bathing status on the Teme, plus salmon and otters," she said.

"We can't allow this to happen to the Onny. We've got to protect the rivers because if we don't do it, who's going to do it?"

Local business owner Bamber, who runs a framing business in the town, said he would rather see money spent on improving the existing infrastructure.

"Surely [Severn Trent] can fix the problem at the sewage works so you don't need to put any water into the Onny or the Kemp?" he said.

"The Onny is beautifully pristine and now they're talking about messing it up."

A large red and white sign on the side of a country road saying 'Severn Trent - Save the Onny'
Campaigners want Severn Trent Water to scrap the pipeline plan

The water company has previously said that by transferring fully treated waste water to the Onny it can "support the river [Clun's] environmental targets".

Severn Trent is considering 10 such transfer schemes at sites across the Midlands including Lichfield and Tewkesbury.

The Environment Agency has said the firm will need to be issued with a permit before starting work on the project.

"Applications of this nature are rigorously assessed in an open and transparent manner, and include a formal public consultation to ensure that evidence and information provided by local people is taken into consideration," the regulator said.