High phosphate levels in River Camel monitored

Image caption, High levels of phosphates can encourage weeds and choke rivers
At a glance
  • Natural England warns Cornwall Council that the River Camel has high phosphate readings
  • The readings have put all planning and development proposals in the area on hold
  • Agriculture,聽sewage from homes and other developments that generate聽waste water are believed to be responsible
  • The council said it was working with official agencies to find a long-term solution "as quickly as possible"

Phosphate levels in a river in Cornwall are being monitored after recent high readings, Cornwall Council says.

The authority said it was using a chemical calculator to measure and monitor levels in the River Camel after an alert by Natural England.

The move has resulted in all planning and development proposals in the area being put on hold, the council said.聽

The main source聽of phosphates聽was聽agriculture,聽with some coming聽via聽sewage from homes and other developments that generated聽waste water, it added.聽

The River Camel is part of a Special Area of Conservation.

High levels of phosphates in land can encourage weeds and choke rivers.

Phosphate neutrality

The council said it was notified by Natural England "that聽the area聽was at risk from adverse effects聽due to聽excessive phosphates聽and that further development could聽exacerbate this聽unless mitigation measures聽were put in place".

It said the pause in planning work in the area had primarily impacted housing applications.

But some commercial and agricultural development had also been impacted, and it "could also affect other schemes", the authority added鈥.

It said it had introduced to allow planning applicants to calculate whether their development would be聽phosphate-neutral as a "first step" in keeping levels under control.

But it said: "Until聽longer-term solutions are found, the council will only be able to approve applications that can show that they meet this [phosphate-neutral] requirement,聽or can聽propose mitigation measures to the same effect."

The council said it was working with Natural England, the Environment Agency and聽South West聽Water "to find a solution as quickly as possible".