Knowsley Council was recently
fined £5000 by magistrates for an incident where thousands of liters of
raw sewage were allowed to spill into a nearby stream. The incident
came after the Council had been warned about the leak but allowed
it to go on. The Council was warned that sewage was spilling into
a nearby brook from a sewage pumping station in Knowsley village.
Pollution happened despite "numerous warnings"
The hearing on Friday 22nd November at Knowsley Magistrates
Court revealed that the Council who operate the sewage plant,
together with United Utilities who own it, had let the incident
happen despite ‘numerous warnings’. Knowsley Council, who have
supposedly been working with the Environment agency found themselves
being prosecuted by them in this incident. .
Incident described as "Embarrassing"
Knowsley Council described the serious environmental pollution
as ‘embarrassing’, no doubt more concerned they have been caught
out than concerned at the environmental impact on local
wildlife. The prosecution was useless and a mere show trial as
individual criminals responsible can hide behind
the respective United Utilities and the Council.
By fining the Council, the Environment agency is
simply charging the local community for this incident.
The individuals involved should have been made to wade
in the sewage to clean it up. Knowsley Council haven’t
been fined, we all have, as the cost will be passed onto
us for the Councils utter negligence on this and other
matters. .
Council Tax Payers to foot bill for £7000 fine plus other costs
The cost to Knowsley Council Tax payers will be approx £7000 which
is from a £5000 fine and just under £2000 court costs. Other
legal fees would have been incurred plus the actual clean up
of the sewage, which went on until Christmas Day. The incident
is not the only one which has come to our attention. Kirkby
Times has already run a story showing Raw sewage which polluted,
and still periodically polluted the River Alt. Maybe Knowsley
Council or who-ever is responsible for the raw sewage pipe
running alongside the pollution we featured may like to
apologise. Needless to say, Knowsley Council NEVER responded
to an email or could not be contacted by phone when Kirkby
Times reported this incident. Embarrassed maybe? They should be.
They are fast becoming a Council notorious for being involved
with polluting firms. .
Knowsley Council turn on United Utilities
Knowsley Council solicitor Peter Sharkey (ironic name!)
told the court that “the contract with united utilities
was being severed next May” Lets hope Knowsley's voters
may one day sever the link with the Council who’s lip
service to environmental issues is a hypocritical charade.
Now Kirkby Times can say without fear of legal repercussions
that Knowsley Council is a Criminal Council. But we all knew
that anyway. .
Not until the last tree is felled, the last river poisoned
and the last fish caught will we realise that money,
in itself, has no value.
