Protest starts over sewage plants

Locals are campaigning for secondary sewage treatment

Plans for two sewage treatment works have led to the formation of a protest group in Cornwall.

South West Water (SWW) wants to site the works near Tintagel Castle and at Bossiney.

But local people say they want such treatment plants to be sited away from people's homes.

South West Water says the works at Bossiney and Tintagel will stop two crude sewage discharges and satisfy Environment Agency requirements.

If visitors come to an area that's going to smell, people will only come once Margaret Beckett,

At the moment, sewage from Tintagel and Bossiney goes straight into the sea by two outfalls, one for each area.

Under European rules, the level of treatment depends on whether the local population is greater or smaller than 2,000.

The main concern is about the smell that primary treatment plants would produce.

Margaret Beckett, from Bossiney, said: "I feel they've given no consideration to this, particularly where livelihoods depend on tourism.

"If visitors come to an area that's going to smell, people will only come once and never come back."

'Rushed through'

Elizabeth Bardin, who lives near Tintagel Castle, said had the plans had not been properly considered and were being "rushed through".

About 250 people have signed a petition asking the Government to reconsider the planned site near Tintagel Castle, which has already been granted planning permission.

Protestors accuse SWW of effectively dividing one population into two so it does not have to provide treatment required if an area has a population of more than 2,000.

SWW said it had considered all possible options and believed that dealing with two separate cachment areas was the best choice.

"Both communities will benefit from an improvement which is currently planned to be completed by the end of 2005," a spokesman said.