River Onny pipeline plan scrapped

A controversial pipeline scheme in Shropshire has been scrapped.

Severn Trent Water wanted to transfer fully treated wastewater from its plant in Bishop’s Castle and discharge it into the River Onny.

Currently, the water enters the Snakescroft Brook, which runs into the river Kemp and the River Clun.

Severn Trent is required to upgrade the treatment works in Bishop’s Castle to improve the quality of the brook, which is currently failing to achieve good status under the Water Framework Directive.

The Clun is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) due to its endangered freshwater pearl mussels, meaning that any development plans in the area, including housing projects, are subject to strict environmental regulations to minimise any adverse impact. 

The Onny does not have the same status. However, local anglers and conservationists say it is home to wildlife including otters and kingfishers, and is a vital breeding ground for brown trout, grayling and Atlantic salmon.

A petition to stop the scheme gathered more than 9,000 signatures, and more than 200 people packed the Community College in Bishop’s Castle in March to tell Severn Trent of their concerns.

However, Severn Trent has confirmed the scheme will now not go ahead after initial modelling work showed it would not deliver the environmental benefits originally thought. The firm says it will look to develop an alternative proposal. 

John Wood, from the Onny Preservation Group, said: “We are extremely grateful that Severn Trent and the other members of the Strategic Clun Liaison Group (the Environment Agency, Natural England and Shropshire Council) have listened to the concerns of the residents of South Shropshire, and that Severn Trent has dropped its plan for the pipe.

“The Onny is a much-loved stream, home to a wide variety of wildlife, as well as being an important breeding ground for Atlantic salmon. This decision will help ensure that the Onny can have a bright future and hopefully flourish for many years to come.”

Sharing the news on Facebook, Councillor Ruth Houghton (Lib Dem, Bishop’s Castle) said she was very pleased that the plan won’t go ahead, while Councillor Josh Dickin (Lib Dems, Craven Arms) added that he never supported it.

“This is very welcome news and I’m glad Severn Trent have seen sense and stopped before they got to far,” said Cllr Dickin.

“All credit must go to the Save The Onny Preservation group. They have managed to stand up and be noticed, and without them this correct decision probably wouldn’t have been made.

“Yes we need houses built in our lovely part of the world, that are affordable, for local people, which will help my generation to stay in the area. But, now all stakeholders need to sit down and reset and meet to find a new way forward.”

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’d like to thank the Bishop’s Castle community and the Onny Preservation Group for their engagement from the outset and input throughout this process.

“We have always said that if the evidence didn’t support the desired outcomes, and it wasn’t the right thing to do, then it wouldn’t proceed.

“We’d now like to reassure people that the proposed pipeline will not be built

“We know this has been a deeply felt issue, reflecting both a shared commitment to caring for local rivers and the need for new housing in the town and we hope this is reassuring news for many in the community.”