Controversial plans to dump an Olympic-sized swimming pool of wastewater every day into Whitnash Brook, as well foul odours blighting south Leamington, have been raised again in the House of Commons.

Bellway Homes has applied to the Environment Agency (EA) to use the brook to discharge 2,642 cubic metres of effluent per day, under the term of trade site drainage, from its nearby housing development site.

The plans have been met with anger by many in the community, including Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western, who raised the issue in Parliament.

‘Plans to dump Olympic-sized swimming pool of wastewater every day into Whitnash...

Matt Western MP speaking in the Houses of Commons.

placeholder image — Matt Western MP speaking in the Houses of Commons.

He also used his question to demand more action from the Environment Agency (EA) - for both the water discharge issue and the long-running battle to end the smells over south Leamington and Warwick, which he and residents believe are coming from the nearby Amcor factory (previously known as Berry Polymers).

Following the question, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water and Flooding, Emma Hardy, agreed to a meeting with Mr Western.

He said: "At the core of my questions was what is the Environment Agency doing?

"Residents shouldn’t have to suffer years of flies and odour in south Leamington. As I said in the chamber about the pollution, residents have understandably been suffering the last three years. I’ve smelt it myself, it’s awful.

"And now we have plans for Bellway Homes to dump an Olympic-size swimming pool of trade effluent into Whitnash Brook every day. That’s shocking too.

"Residents will know that I’ve long (10-plus years) campaigned against this incredibly poorly planned development and this is the latest nonsense.

"I asked for a meeting with the Minister on these environmental issues and she agreed. I’ll keep pushing. I get how frustrated so many are about both these situations and I will ensure that the Minister is made aware of this and gets to grips with the Environment Agency.

"I will keep pushing for the standards that nearby and prospective residents expect."

We have approached Bellway for a comment.

In terms of the smells, the EA has issued a new enforcement notice to Berry/AMCOR after its odour reports failed to meet requirements. The EA added: “We continue to regularly audit and inspect this site’s operations, including the use and management of the wastewater treatment plant."

Amcor said: "Amcor takes the concerns of Leamington Spa residents very seriously and, as the new owner of the facility, we want to maintain open and transparent engagement with the community.

"We remain committed to operating the Amcor Circular Polymer facility to leading environmental standards."

We have been frequently been reporting on the scandal for three years and will continue to do so.

We first reported on the wastewater issue on March 6, when Warwick District Councillor Cllr Will Roberts (Green, Leamington Willes) spoke out about the plans. He was able to extend the consultation deadline to Thursday March 19, so the public could have their say

He said: "We must protect our disappearing wildlife, and this could have a really serious environmental impact on this beautiful stream in south Leamington."