Water White Paper

Defra has published a Water White Paper – A New Vision for Water.  The Paper sets out how the Government will deliver on its promise to clean up the rivers, lakes and seas.  Central to this is a new Regulator for the sector.  In terms of proposals for agriculture, it notes agriculture remains a key source of water pollution, citing around 40% of river and groundwater pollution is due to agricultural practices.  The Paper says farmers find the current rules ‘unclear, complex to administer and inconsistently applied’.  It has therefore said it will ‘consolidate the existing regulatory framework into a single set of stronger and clearer national standards’.  The Paper says farmers and environmental groups will be able to have a ‘voice in shaping’ the new regulations through the Addressing Pollution from Agriculture Programme and wider consultation.

The Paper goes onto to say there will also be a consultation in early 2026 on reforms on how sewage sludge use in agriculture is regulated and whether this should be included in the Environmental Permitting Regime.  Furthermore it says ‘we are also considering extending environmental permitting to cattle farming’- poultry and pigs are already included in this.  Farmers can also expect more inspections as funding for these is being doubled enabling at least 6,000 visits annually by 2029.  The full White Paper can be found via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-new-vision-for-water-white-paper

If you found this article useful, there are numerous additional articles published each month on our Professional Update bulletin service. You can access a no obligation 90-day free trial via the link below.