Why no action to prevent flooding in Malton and Norton?

Malton and Norton and Old Malton do not have a properly functioning sewer capable of maintaining full functionality in all weather conditions (as required by law). Yorkshire Water is operating inadequate sewage pumping stations and inadequate sewers and carries on doing so because it is cheaper that way. It is far easier for Yorkshire Water to pump sewage into the river Derwent than invest in upgrading its assets.

For those who don’t know, all the sewage from Malton, Norton and Old Malton is pumped to the Yorkshire Water Sewage Treatment Works on York Road Industrial Estate, Malton. At least, that is its intended destination. However, because the Yorkshire Water assets I have just listed are not fit for purpose, Yorkshire Water is pumping any excess raw sewage into the river Derwent. Environmental pollution is the Yorkshire Water solution. It is doing so with the blessing of the Environment Agency, and my overarching question is why?

Why, when the reasons for sewage pollution of the river Derwent, and sewer flooding of people’s homes and gardens were identified in the Arup report 2015 (the equivalent ‘bugs, errors and defects’ discovered in the Fujitsu Horizon, Post Office computer programme) has no action been taken to correct those ‘bugs, errors and defects’, and investment made to prevent sewer flooding and pollution of the river Derwent and people’s homes and gardens in 2024?

Why, when the need and means to move away from reliance on the Malton, Norton and Old Malton Pumping Plan was identified by Arup in 2015, is the multi-agency partnership, led by North Yorkshire Council, still operating that plan?

Cllr Simon Thackray, Malton Town Council