The illegal dumping of sewage has caused uproar, and Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for the policy to be enforced sooner. Meanwhile, English water companies are planning to raise customer fees by an additional £156 per year in order to fund improvements to Britain’s Victorian infrastructure.
Chiefs who oversee the pollution of rivers, lakes, and seas will no longer receive rewards, according to Environment Secretary Steve Barclay. This ban will begin with bonuses in the fiscal year that begins in April.
Over the previous four years, bonuses, rewards, and incentives totaling more than £26 million were disclosed to supervisors.
Nine water chief executives have received £10 million in bonuses, £14 million in incentives, and £603,580 in benefits since 2019, according to analysis by the Labour Party.
Five out of the eleven water corporations that handle sewage had senior executives accept bonuses last year; the other six, which included the heads of Thames Water and Yorkshire Water, declined in response to public outcry.
Outrage over the illicit activities has resulted in proposals from Labour and the Liberal Democrats to bring the policy into effect sooner. Water companies in England want to raise consumers’ rates by an additional £156 annually in order to fund improvements to Britain’s Victorian infrastructure.
Political opponents criticized the prohibition as “too weak and feeble,” even as Mr. Barclay expressed his “pleasure” that regular Ofwat was addressing bonuses in response to water companies’ subpar performance.
“Finally ministers have buckled to a campaign led by the Liberal Democrats over two years ago, but even now this attempt to ban bonuses sounds too weak and feeble,” stated Tim Farron, MP and environmental spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.
