Green member motion

Council notes

1. On August 24, Thames Water introduced a hosepipe ban following the driest July on record.
2. Across England and Wales, 3 billion litres of water are lost to leaks in the water system every single day 
3. According to analysis by the GMB union, Thames Water’s infrastructure allows 635 million litres of water to leak out of the system every single day - equivalent to leaving a hosepipe on for 73 years.[1]
4. Failure to fix leaks has had a major impact on public infrastructure in Oxford - including the flooding of the Littlemore underpass for several weeks.
5. There has been a long delay in replacing the water pipe occupying the east bound cycle lane on Osney Bridge, which has endangered cyclists using Botley Road.
6. Between 2017 and 2021, Thames Water has accrued £32.4 million of fines over 11 separate incidents of water pollution - including a £4 million fine for sewage pumped into Oxford’s waterways. [2]
7. Since privatisation in 1989, shareholders of water companies have pocketed over £72bn in dividends.[3] Thames Water paid out £392 million in profit to shareholders between 2013 and 2017. [4]

Council believes

1. Thames Water is currently failing to deliver an adequate public service, is failing to invest in infrastructure, and has caused extensive environmental damage - all while putting the burden of water saving onto residents. 
2. Serious questions have been raised as to Thames Water’s performance - questions to which the public need answers. More accountability for the company is therefore necessary.
3. Going forward, the country’s illogical privatisation of water must be reversed. Water is a basic need, a natural monopoly and a vital public service. Privatisation provides all the wrong incentives for running a water supply, and it should be returned to public hands, with democratic oversight.  

Council resolves

1. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks requests that Thames Water’s CEO Sarah Bentley attend a meeting open to all Councillors to ask questions on the company’s performance. 
2. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the water regulator - Ofwat - expressing the concerns laid out in this motion and requesting action be taken to redress it. 
3. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey, and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Grant Shapps informing them of the Council’s view that the country’s water system should be taken into public ownership. 
4. To lobby government ministers on an ongoing basis to tackle the issues raised in this motion, and for a publicly owned water system. 

Cllr Jarvis, seconded by Cllr Muddiman, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note and immediately changed his motion without notice to reflect the amendment submitted as set out in the briefing note. The change was seconded by Cllr Muddiman and agreed by Council, in accordance with Oxford City Council’s Constitution Part 11.20(h).

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council notes

1. On August 24, Thames Water introduced a hosepipe ban following the driest July on record.
2. Across England and Wales, 3 billion litres of water are lost to leaks in the water system every single day 
3. According to analysis by the GMB union, Thames Water’s infrastructure allows 635 million litres of water to leak out of the system every single day - equivalent to leaving a hosepipe on for 73 years.[1]
4. Failure to fix leaks has had a major impact on public infrastructure in Oxford - including the flooding of the Littlemore underpass for several weeks and the ring road for several days in October.
5. There has been a long delay in replacing the water pipe occupying the east bound cycle lane on Osney Bridge, which has endangered cyclists using Botley Road.
6. Between 2017 and 2021, Thames Water has accrued £32.4 million of fines over 11 separate incidents of water pollution - including a £4 million fine for sewage pumped into Oxford’s waterways. [2]
7. Since privatisation in 1989, shareholders of water companies have pocketed over £72bn in dividends.[3] Thames Water paid out £392 million in profit to shareholders between 2013 and 2017. [4]    

Council believes

1. Thames Water is currently failing to deliver an adequate public service, is failing to invest in infrastructure, and has caused extensive environmental damage - all while putting the burden of water saving onto residents. 
2. Serious questions have been raised as to Thames Water’s performance - questions to which the public need answers. More accountability for the company is therefore necessary.
3. Going forward, the country’s illogical privatisation of water must be reversed. Water is a basic need, a natural monopoly and a vital public service. Privatisation provides all the wrong incentives for running a water supply, and it should be returned to public hands, with democratic oversight. Only by bringing back water into public ownership can we guarantee the health and safety of Oxford’s residents, of Oxford’s cherished waterways, wildlife and the future of our water supplies.

Council resolves

1. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks requests that Thames Water’s CEO Sarah Bentley attend a meeting open to all Councillors to ask questions on the company’s performance. 
2. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the water regulator - Ofwat - expressing the concerns laid out in this motion and requesting action be taken to redress it. 
3. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey, and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Grant Shapps informing them of the Council’s view that the country’s water system should be taken into public ownership. 
4. To lobby government ministers on an ongoing basis to tackle the issues raised in this motion, and for a publicly owned water system.