The government has been accused of remaining silent when “disgusting acts of environmental vandalism take place” at a popular bathing spot.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has hit out after Wolvercote Mill Stream was rated as ‘poor’ by the Environment Agency using data from 2022.

The bathing spot just north of Port Meadow and one mile from Oxford city centre was found to have not satisfied the agency’s standards.

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It is only the second inland river in the UK to achieve Designated Bathing Status.

Ms Moran has since told the Oxford Mail the agency’s findings will not surprise local people as she said water companies “have continued to dump raw sewage upstream at Witney and Cassington sewage works”.

She said: “Why on earth is the government not speaking up on these disgusting acts of environmental vandalism?

“Water firms are committing a national scandal whilst ministers look the other way.

“Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

Oxford Mail: Wolvercote Mill Stream

For overall water cleanliness, the bathing spot was given a ranking of 7.13 out of 10.

Oxford city councillor Linda Smith, who helped campaign for the site to be designated as a bathing site, said she was not surprised by the water quality results.

She said: “Thames Water has been run for the benefit of its shareholders instead of for the public good.

“This failure is a direct result of them not making the necessary investment to upgrade capacity at treatment works and modernise the Victorian sewer system.”

However, Ms Smith said it was good that Wolvercote Mill Stream had been designated as an official bathing water designation site as this meant reliable information would continue to be published fortnightly throughout the season.

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: “Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus for us and throughout the spring and summer period monitored by the Environment Agency in 2022, our local sewage works did not need to discharge untreated sewage at any stage.

“We’re also aware that last year was an unusual year for river flows across the country following the hot weather periods and drought we experienced over the summer.

"This is why the Environment Agency’s assessment for designated bathing status looks at three years of river water quality results.  

“We have planned substantial investment in our local sewage treatment works to reduce the need for untreated discharges, including a major £17million expansion at Witney, which is due to be completed in early 2024.

"The company is jointly owned by nine institutional investors made up mostly of pension funds, representing key workers, and sovereign wealth funds.

"The two largest investors represent pension funds in the UK and Canada. Our shareholders are in it for the long term and have not taken an external dividend for six years to prioritise investment in improving service for customers and to protect the environment."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been approached.

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Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times. 

He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.

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