Torbay Lib Dems Condemn Torbay Council’s Harbour Committee Chairman’s “Reckless and Irresponsible” comments on sewage pollution

Torbay Lib Dems Condemn Torbay Council’s Harbour Committee Chairman’s “Reckless and Irresponsible” comments on sewage pollution

Local Liberal Democrats have strongly condemned remarks made by Cllr Andrew Strang, chair of Torbay Council’s Harbour Committee, after he took to social media to claim that "we [Torbay] have not had any sewerage [sic] spills in our prime resort." He went on to assert, "I know this because I’m the chair of harbours."

Cllr Strang’s claim directly contradicts official data from water companies and the Environment Agency, which shows that the seas around Torbay have been polluted by sewage 426 times in the last 3,762 hours.

Responding to the statement, Lib Dem leader on Torbay Council, Swithin Long, criticised the Harbour Chair’s refusal to acknowledge the problem, saying:

"It’s absolutely staggering that the chairman of our own Harbour Committee would deny these sewage spills are happening, despite the evidence being readily available to him."

He also pointed to the wider failures of Conservative policy, adding:

"The Conservative party, of which Strang is a member, in government, had long tolerated sewage dumping into the country’s rivers and seas while refusing to support measures to hold water companies to account."

Cllr Long called for urgent accountability, urging Cllr Strang to invite Surfers Against Sewage to his committee and justify his claims directly to them.

The Liberal Democrats continue to fight for stronger environmental protections and are calling for urgent action to tackle sewage pollution across Torbay’s coastline.