travelling-blogger

comments

Banned: You could be fined up to £1,000 if you are caught using your hosepipe on the Isles of Scilly

As Britain battens down the hatches for a shivering and rainy Bank Holiday Monday, a silly row has flared on the Scillies where the islanders are faced with a hosepipe ban because of a water shortage.

The Isles of Scilly Council has been accused of acting illegally by threatening a £1,000 fine for anyone breaking the ban on St Mary's.

Angry critics say the council does not have the authority to bring in the ban or to fine anyone.

At the start of August, with water consumption soaring as the Scillies flooded with tourists, there was also a prolonged dry spell and ground water levels plunged by almost a third.

The crisis worsened when one of the pumps at the island's desalination plant failed, closely followed by the spare.

General purposes committee chairman Steve Sims said 'The plant wasn't working and the island only had three days' water.'

A replacement pump was sourced but Mr Sims said 'It did highlight that we could have had a potentially serious situation on our hands.

'I make no apology whatsoever for the hosepipe ban.'

The council is the islands' only publicly-owned water authority.

It said it was introducing the hosepipe ban 'under the 1991 Water Industry Act' but opponents say it has no legal authority to do so because Scilly is not included in the Act.

Radio Scilly quoted a council officer as informing councillors it was using 'legislative provisions applicable across the rest of England'.

Mr Sims said 'We were obviously short of water.

'The best way for it to be flagged is to introduce a hosepipe ban. A notice was put in local papers.'

The restrictions only apply to domestic usage, not business.

Really? The authorities on the picturesque islands insist there is still a drought

Careful: A snippet of the warning that was put up on the island

He conceded that the council has no statutory powers for a hosepipe ban but he said 'It isn't illegal for the council to impose a ban, it just means the ban has no teeth.

'Irrespective of the legal situation, I cannot envisage the council ever fining someone for using a hosepipe.

'You have to assume a level of civic responsibility, common sense and goodwill from the public, which is happening.'

He said the council had launched a 'Don't Be A Waster' poster campaign and is urging B and B owners, guest houses, hotels and holiday campsites to ask people not to use water unwisely.

The Senior Manager for Infrastructure, Craig Dryden, emailed councillors to confirm that the Water Industry Act does not apply to the Isles of Scilly.

But the council was using 'legislative provisions applicable across the rest of England', he added.

It's unclear whether the council will now have to withdraw its public notices and explain to residents that the ban and fines are unenforceable.