Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum

Working For A Better Whitburn.
We work with the local community and elected officials to preserve, enhance and protect the village of Whitburn. 🍃💚🍃

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

South Tyneside lost this when officers did not produce a robust defence of the councillors' decision to refuse planning permission for the Whitburn Lodge on the grounds of a lack of sewage treatment capacity
Inspectors ignored the million tonnes of sewage discharged at Whitburn

[CommunityPlanningAlliance 🦇🦎 @CommunityPlann1]

The government has put 9 councils into "special measures" - which means local councils are losing the power to determine planning applications in their own areas:
-Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire
-Dacorum Borough Council in Hertfordshire
-Epping Forest District Council in Essex
-Hertsmere Borough Council in Hertfordshire
-Malvern Hills District Council in Worcestershire
-Rossendale Borough Council in Lancashire
-South Tyneside Council in Tyne and Wear
-Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
-Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire
https://t.co/THgwQw8GVc

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Happy anniversary to OFWAT and NWL.
It is over a year since OFWAT agreed that NWL could produce a plan to reduce sewage discharges at Whitburn rather than pay a £15.7 million fine
The plan was to be published on 8th December 2025
To date, no fine, no plan and no prosecutions.

[Emma Lewell MP @EmmaLewell]

Over a decade of campaigning 😔
Still no promised plan from Northumbrian Water 😡
Only nationalisation will fix our water industry 🌊

@We_OwnIt

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Chinese owned Northumbrian Water have for 19 hours discharged over 103,770 tonnes of sewage into the the sea at Whitburn
NWL would rather you didn't know so limit available data to discharges that have occurred in the last 24 hours
They do have history https://t.co/vGFwMLh5SA

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The 205 houses proposed for Marsden school will generate around 74 tonnes of sewage each day.
In the last 24 hours the Long Sea Outfall at Whitburn has discharged in excess of 85,770 tonnes of untreated sewage into the Norh Sea.
That's where this sewage will go when it rains.

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The online petition to protect and preserve the green fields around Marsden Primary School has over 1,360 signatures. https://t.co/kCI8ptXnvk
There is also a paper copy at Whitburn library.
The petition was presented to South Tyneside Council on 15 Jan
We are awaiting a response

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Northumbrian Water has failed to adequately invest in its infrastructure since it was privatised, hence the leaky network.
The fresh water pipes are leaking in winter and the sewer overflows are discharging into the environment illegally all year round
https://t.co/zIkXzkEfAb

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The developers, Story Homes, made £54 million profit in 2024. They will try to classify these green fields as 'grey belt' when they apply to build 205 unaffordable houses.
Their profit will be at the expense of the village of Whitburn.
Please save our village and sign and share

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

There are plans to build over 200 unaffordable houses in green fields around Marsden Primary School at Whitburn.
This will damage the "village"of Whitburn
Please sign the petition to “Protect and preserve the green fields around Marsden Primary School'

https://t.co/TxoRxgOqc1

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The Long Sea Outfall at Whitburn discharges a million tonnes of untreated sewage into the sea each year.
This overflow is featured in the OEP
reports.

[The Office for Environmental Protection @OfficeforEP]

We have today published reports detailing the findings of our investigation into the regulation of combined sewer overflows by Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat. We make several additional recommendations. Find the reports 👉https://t.co/BKJc7v3rBe

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The Office Environmental Protection 'Our investigation found that there had been failures to comply with environmental law by each of the three public authorities relating to the regulation of network CSOs'

The Whitburn CSO is referred to in the report.
https://t.co/xsqBMy9Mbz

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

There are plans to build over 200 unaffordable houses in green fields around Marsden Primary School at Whitburn.
This will damage the "village"of Whitburn
Please sign the petition to “Protect and preserve the green fields around Marsden Primary School'

https://t.co/TxoRxgOqc1

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

@bedethree Hi

The email address we have for the CEO of NWL is

[email protected]

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Steve Reed accepted football tickets and hospitality from the Chinese owners of Northumbrian Water.
These owners are now looking to buy Thames Water.

https://t.co/ifiSICSSYl

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Whitburn feature in this parliamentary committee report regarding transparency issues
Campaigners in Whitburn, were asking for information about sewage discharges
Northumbrian Water had not adequately considered the need for transparency in its refusal to provide the information

[EFRA Committee @CommonsEFRA]

We’ve published our report on priorities for the water sector, calling on Sir Jon Cunliffe and the Water Commission not to shy away from “root and branch” reforms.

Read the report: https://t.co/lRGm5xLdC4

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

https://t.co/yy8mWvgFg4

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

https://t.co/e89YU0YxAl

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Thanks for your support @EmmaLewell
OFWAT confirm:
The commitment in relation to Whitburn is enforceable under the WIA91 and we will monitor
Northumbrian Water's compliance and progress with this obligation until complete
Let's hope this will Stop Sewage Pollution at Whitburn

[Emma Lewell MP @EmmaLewell]

Welcome news that action is being taken about the ineffective storm drainage at Whitburn after years of local campaigning. @WhitburnForum 💪🌊

https://t.co/dll5pkNAcK

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

The Whitburn sewage system was judged in breach of the law in 2012 by the ECJ.
13 years later OFWAT say
The commitment in relation to Whitburn is enforceable under the WIA91 and we will monitor
Northumbrian Water's compliance and progress with this obligation until complete

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

Oh incase you missed it today’s agreement between Ofwat and Northumberland Water it also includes “A binding commitment to work with the Environment Agency to ensure the Whitburn”, sewage system complies with the law.

Yep fearsome water industry regulator Ofwat actually thinks it’s achieved something today by getting a water company to promise to abide by the law.

JEEZZZZZ!!!!!!! 🤦🤦🤬🤬🤦🤦

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

Ofwat have finally and truly lost its mind.

"Northumbrian Water to pay £15.7m over failings," except it's not a fine at all. The money will be actually used for "improvements to the region's water infrastructure", in other words NW will spend the money doing the job people pay them to do. 🤬

Really, what is the point?

https://t.co/7f378uz9kr

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Littlehaven beach awarded a brown flag
An investigation is to take place by STC
This may help
Littlehaven, at the mouth of the Tyne, is 4 km downstream from Howdon Sewage works which has 4 CSOs
In 2024 one Howdon CSO discharged untreated sewage into the Tyne on 214 separate days

[The Northern Echo @TheNorthernEcho]

North East beach 'wins' Brown Flag award for worst water quality https://t.co/dQokzu5zod

[Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum @WhitburnForum]

Well done @EmmaLewell for your perseverance. The minister would do well to meet with Whitburn Forum to hear at first hand the problems of sewage pollution in our lovely coastline.

[Emma Lewell MP @EmmaLewell]

This morning, I called on the Minister for Water to meet with me and campaigners to discuss action on sewage and pollution in our water at Whitburn and Littlehaven. @WhitburnForum💧🚫

https://t.co/nogIS6NfVB