North Devon MP vows action on river and ocean pollution at climate forum

Is our water safe? North Devon MP Ian Roome says no

North Devon’s new MP has said his priority will be to help clean up polluted rivers and oceans.

Ian Roome, the Lib Dem MP for North Devon since July, spoke at a packed event at Fremington’s Beechfield Centre on September 7 where he was joined by clean rivers champion Louise Wainwright.

Both had been invited to speak to the North Devon & Torridge Climate Forum, which organises quarterly events with public speakers on climate and environment, giving the public a chance to hear and ask questions of local or national figures who are involved with the issues.

Lib Dem party got the House of Commons Library to put together data on sewage spills. North Devon’s rivers and beaches had over 39,000 hours of sewage dumping in 2023, an almost 90% rise in the duration compared with 2022. Ian has spoken publicly of his outrage at water companies’ huge profits while families face back- breaking bills.

He also agrees with the idea of citizen’s assemblies.

Rosemary Haworth-Booth of the North Devon & Torridge Climate Forum said: “He didn’t go into the detail of how they might be formulated or linked to parliament but it was clear that he advocated them as an advisory for MPs, to give them expert advice on environment and the climate crisis, and on what should and can be done.

“None of us, he modestly announced, can be an expert on everything, and I am here to learn. He had been looking at the Climate and Nature Bill, which calls for a climate and nature assembly to help government and parliament develop an emergency strategy on the way forward. Over 90% of the Lib Dems ’ 72 MPs have already declared their support for the Bill.

“It goes so much further than the last government’s Environment Act . It locks science into law rather than just setting targets. It aims to reverse rather than simply halt the dangerous losses and changes we are seeing and ensure the UK does its real fair share to maintain a liveable planet.

“Ian also assured us there was a good chance that a Lib Dem might be able to chair one or two of the select committees in parliament, which included Health and Social Care, Petitions and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, all of which are very close to his heart.”

She added; “Ian’s concerns fitted well with the work of Louise, who chairs Avon River Champions, an informal group linking all catchment groups in the South Hams and South Devon but whose work impacts other parts of the county too. “Our very existence depends on water and it needs to be clean.

“There is increasing evidence of the ecological damage to aquatic life that swims, lives and breathes in these waters all year round. They have no vote or voice, they have suffered long before it became so bad that you might need to think twice before swimming in it. The ‘forever’ chemicals, agricultural pollution, and sewage pollution all need to be addressed to restore the health of our rivers"

Louise gave a detailed presentation of the kinds of problems we face regarding damage to nature caused not just by human effluent but by farming practices as well.

Rosemary added: “As a farmer herself she is well aware of the problems they face. Farmers, she emphasised, need far more support than they are currently getting to reverse the effect of methods which are currently poisoning the land.”