The Lympstone Water Quality Group (LWQG) has submitted a comprehensive report to Devon County Council (DCC) on its failures to prevent pollution in the Wotton Brook and Exe Estuary. Supported by the Environmental Law Foundation and other national NGOs (the Rivers Trust and Stormwater Shepherds), the report covers not only the sediment pollution during construction of the Dinan Way link road, which many of you will have seen, but also long-term pollution from the runoff from the new road and the A376 (known to contain hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and microplastics). It presents evidence of pollution and an analysis of the causes and impacts.
The aim is to secure high-level attention and action. LWQG calls for DCC to: (1) acknowledge the evidence and conclusions, and commit to improvements, (2) meet to agree an action plan, and (3) take wider action to tackle highway runoff pollution and sediment pollution in Devon.
The road project is a reminder that the Wotton Brook and Exe Estuary are highly vulnerable to pollution, and the pressures from development and climate change are increasing. Protecting the water quality means protecting wildlife, people’s health and wellbeing, our heritage, our local businesses, and the overall long-term resilience of Lympstone. We all need to do what we can.
