Decision details

NOTED the deputation received from Mr John Poole regarding pollution in Wealdstone Brook and support residents were seeking to address the issues identified.  Having reminded members about the course of the brook running through Harrow & Brent, he highlighted the detrimental impact on residents as a result of the current levels of pollution, including untreated sewage, within the brook.  Concerns were expressed at what he regarded as a lack of co-ordination between relevant agencies in seeking to tackle the issues and also that the Council had not sought to declare the current levels of pollution as a major incident, given what he felt to be the impact on public health, with examples provided at the meeting.  As a result he urged the Council to ensure those agencies responsible took the necessary steps to clean up the pollution within the brook and also rectify the cause of the problems.

In responding to the deputation, Councillor Krupa Sheth, as Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure & Climate Action advised that she recognised the frustrations and concerns expressed regarding current levels of contamination within the brook.  As a result she highlighted the work being undertaken with Thames Water and the Environment Agency (as the main regulatory bodies with shared responsibility for maintenance of the brook) in seeking to ensure the necessary action was taken to not only clear the pollution but also to detect and rectify the source, which it was understood had been linked to wrongly connected foul sewers and the unlawful discharge of toxic substances.  In explaining the reasons for not seeking to declare a major incident, members were also advised of the work being undertaken with Public Health to monitor the impact on the local population with no evidence of any specific associated health issues being highlighted to date.  In summing up and thanking Mr Poole for his deputation, an assurance was provided that work would continue with the relevant partner agencies to ensure the necessary action was taken to address and respond to the pollution within the brook.