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Allan
Wilson Writes to The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency after meeting
with
Scottish Water.
A bid to have the upgrading of combined sewer outfalls
(CSO's) to the south of the pier included in Scottish Water's capital
programme for the town.
 Local
MSP Allan Wilson has written to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
(Sepa) in a bid to have the upgrading of combined sewer outfalls (CSO's) to
the south of the pier included in Scottish Water's capital programme for the
town. The move follows a meeting between Scottish Water and the MSP last
week in Edinburgh.
"The decision by the Scottish Executive earlier this month to designate
Pencil Beach as 'bathing waters' under the EU Directive can be the catalyst
for the re-appraisal by Sepa of their advice on priority treatment areas
considered for investment by the Capital Monitoring Group Given the
recreational use to which the waters are put and their proximity to the
National Sailing Centre at Cumbrae I believe they should be prioritised and
incorporated within current investment plans" said Mr Wilson.
"Consequently the additional capital investment required to upgrade the
CSO's at the Pier, Gogo and May Streets could be allocated to Scottish Water
under the recently approved Scottish Executive Quality & Standards capital
programme (Q & S III) and the improvements incorporated within the planned
upgrading of the Buchanan Street Pumping station and the new Wastewater
Treatment Works" said Mr Wilson.
"Protection of the local water environment to bathing water quality
following the designation which is a development long supported by me,
should result in the proposed upgrading being given higher priority in the
queue of projects competing for funding within Scottish Water's available
capital funding if Sepa attach increased environmental importance to the
work as I suggest" said Mr Wilson.
"It can also help expedite the current logjam on upgrading work following
Scottish Water's appeal to the Executive on Sepa's refusal to grant
discharge consent for the planned upgrading of the Buchanan Street Pumping
Station which will feed the new Wastewater Treatment Works and end the
practice of discharging raw untreated sewage into the Clyde." said Mr
Wilson.
"Getting this scheme into full operation as quickly as possible must be the
priority of all concerned, in order that compliance with EU Directives on
Bathing Waters and Urban Wastewater Treatment can be assured and the final
piece of the jigsaw, comprising massive public investment improving water
quality all along the Ayrshire coast, can be put in place following
extensive delays" concluded Mr Wilson.
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