NORTH Cornwall’s MP has pressed South West Water on the ongoing sewage crisis in St Mabyn.

Ben Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, has written to South West Water to demand urgent answers over the ongoing sewage crisis at the Chapelfields development in St Mabyn.

Families who have moved into new homes on the development, have found that proper sewage infrastructure was never installed - forcing South West Water to resort to emergency tankers to manage waste. According to the local MP, despite repeated warnings from local residents and the parish council, the company failed to ensure the necessary treatment works were in place before people moved in.

Ben Maguire MP has now pressed South West Water to confirm when they expect a response from the Environment Agency on their recent permit application, and demanded they set out a clear timeline for delivering the long-overdue sewage infrastructure.

In his letter to the water provider, he said: “The severity of these failings at this development alone (not to mention other ongoing issues at the Shoreland Homes development in Bude) raises further serious concerns about South West Water’s handling of its responsibilities.

“Given the significant impact on residents, I expect a full and timely response detailing exactly how these issues will be resolved, and what steps will be taken to prevent such failures in the future.”

Commenting on the issues, Mr Maguire added: "This is yet another example of South West Water failing to plan properly and leaving residents to suffer the consequences. People in St Mabyn deserve answers and decisive action, not excuses. Why on earth was such a fundamental planning issue completely overlooked?

"They need to be very clear with residents, and vow that this mess will be sorted ASAP - and never, ever be repeated."