Southampton City Council is to hold a scrutiny inquiry panel on “protecting, preserving and promoting” the use of the River Itchen.
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It comes as there are growing concerns about a range of issues including flooding, smells and the quality of water around coasts and in rivers - locally and nationally.
The council’s overview and scrutiny management committee reportedly selected the topic from a list of four put forward at a meeting on August 11, which also included city toilet provision, gambling harms and “Utilising green spaces effectively to support well-being in deprived communities”.
Meeting paperwork [pdf] explains: “Each year the Scrutiny Inquiry Panel undertakes an inquiry that looks in detail at a specific issue with the objective of improving outcomes in Southampton.”
Posting on social media, Cllr Lisa Mitchell (Labour, Portswood ward) said: “… it was agreed at a council scrutiny meeting last night that in October we will be holding a scrutiny inquiry panel for a number of weeks on protecting, preserving and promoting the River Itchen
“I'll pass on more details once I know but these will be public meetings and there should be plenty of opportunity to come along and contribute. More details as they come but thought it was timely to announce!”
She told bitternepark.info: “We are hoping as has happened in past Scrutiny Inquiries that this will shed light on the issues surrounding the Itchen River and also offer up new solutions that we can take as a council to tackle them.”
• If you wish to contact Southern Water, their complaints form is online here. They say the quickest way to get in touch is to call 0330 303 0223. They also list 0330 303 0368 for a “water or wastewater emergency”.
Photo: Ann MacGillivray