THE Member of Parliament for North Cornwall has issued a ‘demand’ to South West Water to take urgent action on multiple issues in the area, following his meeting with its chief executive Susan Davy.

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for the area, described the discussion as "constructive," but stressed immediate action is required to resolve several concerns, including the ongoing sewage scandal which sees effluent discharged into the area’s watercourses.

He also discussed the ‘ongoing lack of communication’ with residents in St Eval who have faced persistent shortages of water amid ongoing repair work, calling on South West Water to take action rather than just speak words.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Maguire said: "When I met with South West Water’s chief executive, Susan Davy, I made it very clear that the sewage scandal in our rivers and seas is unacceptable and demands urgent action, not just words. South West Water really need to improve their dire communication around the St Eval water shortage and reservoir repairs, as well as the inadequate £50 compensation scheme offered to affected residents.

“We also discussed the urgent necessity for investments in storm overflows and critical infrastructure, with a firm insistence that water bills should be frozen until bill payers see real improvements in services. Additionally, I raised concerns about the rising number of domestic leaks, both in private gardens and on public land across North Cornwall, which need immediate attention.

“I pressed Susan and her team to ensure that these vital improvements are rolled out across the constituency without delay, so we do not continue to see huge amounts of sewage dumped in our rivers and seas. South West Water has now agreed to work closely with me to deliver these improvements swiftly across North Cornwall, and have committed to meeting with me regularly to update on their progress.

“I will be watching closely to ensure that the necessary changes are made and that my constituents receive the clean water and reliable service they deserve."

A spokesperson for South West Water said: “We welcome robust scrutiny from all our stakeholders, including elected representatives, and we are working hard to actively reduce our use of storm overflows across the region as part of record investment.

“One example of where this plan is working is in the Cornish village of Duloe, one of the highest spilling sites in the country last year. Here, thanks to using targeted solutions first installed in April, the site is no longer spilling.

“Our teams are now working to roll out similar solutions across our other top spilling sites as a priority, and then more wider as part of a planned £2.8bn investment over the next five years to deliver the improvements we all want to see.”