Darlington's rivers, ponds and becks are now at greater risk of pollution after the Government ripped up laws that require house-building projects to protect water quality, say Darlington Green Party.
This can only worsen nitrogen pollution in the Skerne and Tees, which is already too polluted, according to Natural England. The “nutrient neutrality” laws were essential for protecting Darlington’s rivers, wildlife, and the Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast Special Protection area in the Tees estuary. Water quality in the Tees had decreased over recent years, reaching critical levels last year. Hence, Natural England put the whole river catchment - including Darlington - under the nutrient neutrality scheme.
These rules meant that local authorities shouldn't approve any new development expected to add to river nutrients - through sewage from new homes and run-off from building sites - until such pollution was reduced to cause no overall increase. Under that UK law, home developers - such as the ones set to build Skerningham Garden Village and the Neasham Road development - had to pay for credits to offset water pollution from their housing developments. This should have protected the waterways close to the development sites or contributed to government approved schemes elsewhere, including creating new wetlands or planting new woodlands, to reduce nitrate pollution.
Yesterday's announcement means that, in future, the taxpayer - not house-builders - will fund improvements needed to ensure no extra nutrient pollution. Local authorities will reportedly be able to choose whether to charge housing developers to cover the cost, or not. If that's the case, Darlington Green Party await with interest what the borough council decides to do.
The Home Builders Federation stated the main barriers to house-building are high costs, skills shortages, and high interest rates, so relaxing these environmental rules may not "unblock" development as much as the government hopes.
Cllr Bryony Holroyd, deputy leader of the council's Green Party group, says: “People are already in uproar about the state of our polluted rivers and coastal waters. Every time we have heavy rain, the Combined Sewage Outflow near South Park releases raw sewage into the Skerne.
"Officially allowing developers not to have to provide, or pay for, ways to reduce the extra nutrients from the new homes, is accepting that this situation will get worse. Making the taxpayer pay for their pollution is also not acceptable. It IS possible to build homes carefully, without negatively affecting the environment, but this Conservative government are choosing to make it cheaper for house-builders - so they make more profits - rather than doing the right thing long-term.”
David Clark, of Skerningham Woodland Action Group, says: “It is very upsetting for many of us who are concerned about our local environments and the wildlife that depend on them, especially after the mass die-offs we saw in the Tees estuary and coast in late 2021, cause unknown. We do know there are leaking sewage pipes (reported many times, to no avail) in Darlington to which more new homes are being connected, and the Environment Agency are concerned about our sewage treatment capacity. Every effort to keep pollutants from getting into the river Skerne, that flows into the Tees, must be made. We need major investment in our sewage treatment works, and upgrading pipe capacity before new homes are built. Sadly, residents get the feeling that money and more council tax revenue speaks louder than the concerns of Darlington residents."
