Plans to plant new woodland scrapped as councillors discover sewage-soaked field ‘left’ as an ‘open sewer’

Councillors in Greater Manchester said they discovered the field had been “left as an open sewer” and are calling on ministers to visit as “the whole thing stinks”
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Plans to plant a new woodland have been cancelled after councillors discovered the soil is saturated with sewage and “left” as an “open sewer”.

The woodland was set to be planted in a council-owned field located by Otterspool Road in Romiley, Greater Manchester.

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Stockport councillors were told the land is unsuitable for tree planting because of the sewage soaked into the ground making it too toxic for the trees.

Raw sewage contains many problematic elements, including heavy metals that can be toxic to plants, and nutrients that can disturb ecosystems.

They were forced to cancel the woodland which they hoped the local community would enjoy.

Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Bredbury Green and Romiley, said it is a “devastating blow for the local community” while Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron slammed it as a “scandal”.

Plans for new woodland scrapped as field soaked with sewage. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock) Plans for new woodland scrapped as field soaked with sewage. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock)
Plans for new woodland scrapped as field soaked with sewage. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock)
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Assessments are being done by United Utilities and council officials to find out the scale of the problem but the council said it had decided there were too many risks to human health, including workers having to dig into raw sewage to plant trees.

According to Environment Agency data, United Utilities discharged sewage at Otterspool Road 135 times last year - amounting to 40 days of flowing sewage.

The water company was also found to be the most polluting in the country last year with data showing that 10 of the country’s 20 pipes that spilled the most sewage were owned by United Utilities.

‘The whole thing stinks’

Local officials have asked ministers to visit the field to see the devastating impact of sewage pollution.

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Cllr Smart said: “This is a devastating blow for the local community in Stockport. The council was working hard to deliver a new woodland for local people and wildlife to enjoy, however this environmental scandal has cancelled the project.

“United Utilities owe local people an apology. Their destruction of our environment cannot go on any longer. We already knew our local rivers were being pumped full of sewage, but now it is our green land”.

She added: “I want a minister to visit this field and see first-hand the destruction caused. Rather than a new woodland, we are left with an open sewer.”

While Farron, who is also the Lib Dem’s environment spokesperson, added: “This is a scandal. United Utilities are ruining our region’s environment, from the Lake District to Stockport’s green fields.

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“Conservative ministers are sitting on their hands whilst these environmental scandals take place. Meanwhile, United Utilities reward their execs with multimillion-pound bonuses. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “An issue on our network caused flooding from a manhole, affecting a small section of a field in Stockport which we are cleaning and repair work is being programmed.”

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