Protest against sewage leaks this Sunday at Newbury Victoria Park

A public protest against West Berkshire’s ongoing sewage pollution is being organised this weekend.

On Sunday (April 14) at noon, a coalition of representatives from the Kennet Catchment River Keepers, Action for the River Kennet, Angling Trust, councillors and affected residents will assemble at Victoria Park to protest against the vast amounts of raw sewage flooding West Berkshire’s precious chalk streams.

The River Kennet is a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI), as is the Lambourn, which is also designated as a ‘Special Area of Conservation’ (SAC).

The Pang — the inspiration for ‘The Wind in the Willows’ — flows through several SSSI areas.

These are three of only 260 chalk streams in the world, and they are facing an undeniable environmental crisis, say the Angling Trust.

“For the last three months, the towns and villages of the Kennet, Lambourn valleys and neighbouring Pang valley have had to cope with the daily inundation of sewage from Thames Water’s leaking and creaking infrastructure,” said a spokesperson.

“The continuous discharge of untreated sewage into these ecologically significant chalk streams, and several other rivers in the catchment, presents a dire threat to river life and community health.”

Parking is available at The Wharf, Faraday Road and Parkway.

All are welcome.