Labour vows to get tough on pollution on visit to Wivenhoe

Steve Reed, the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, met with rowers, swimmers, sailors and members of the WivGigs Rowing Club.

He was joined by Pam Cox, who lived in Wivenhoe for two years, and is standing for the Colchester seat in next month’s General Election.

The pair, alongside Harwich and North Essex Labour candidate Alex Diner,  heard from residents about pollution in the River Colne.

Pollution concerns - the River Colne (Image: Newsquest)

Listening - Pam Cox and Steve Reed listening to Wivenhoe residents (Image: Newsquest)

Club - Wivenhoe Sailing Club (Image: Newsquest)

Concerns were raised about sewage treatment and how more will have to be processed due to more housing being built in the area.

Mr Reed said: “There are a lot of people who enjoy sailing and swimming in the river.

Politics - the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed (Image: Newsquest)

Area - a boat next to the Wivenhoe Sailing Club (Image: Newsquest)

Listening - Mr Reed hearing from Kirsty Kitchen, the joint Captain of WivGigs Rowing Club (Image: Newsquest)

“But the levels of pollution are increasing. Last year over 3,000 hours of sewage dumping happened in this river.

"The members are telling me that sometimes it is so bad that they can smell it and see it, what is going on in the water here.

“People are just going to be understandably furious that our rivers are in this state and it’s not just the River Colne.

“What Labour is offering, if we win the election on July 4, we will put the water companies under tough special measures.”

Election hopeful - Pam Cox (Image: Newsquest)

Standing - Harwich and North Essex Labour candidate Alex Diner (Image: Newsquest)

Positive - another group photo (Image: Newsquest)

Labour city councillor Ms Cox used to swim in the river when she lived in Wivenhoe.

She said: “I’d like to make sure we stop polluting the River Colne which runs through Colchester and indeed down Wivenhoe, where we are now.

“There are ways we can do that. Through tightening up regulation on water companies, through tightening up planning regulation that will mean when new houses are built the sewage arrangements for those properties are properly regulated, and the affects mitigated.

“So cleaning up the water companies and keeping an eye on developers and their impact on the river would be two really important things.”

Kirsty Kitchen, the joint captain of Wivgigs Rowing Club, said: “I’m a passionate user of the river. We get very up close and personal with the water here on almost a daily basis, wading in to launch or recover our boat.

“I’m personally delighted that the Shadow Secretary has come down today to speak to us about river quality, water quality, and more.”

Ms Cox, of the Labour Party, is standing in the General Election for the Colchester seat.

She will be up against James Cracknell (Con), Martin Goss (Lib Dem), Terrence Longstaff (Reform UK) James Rolfe (Climate Party) and Sara Ruth (Grn).