Rivers in crisis
Guest blog by Ali Morse
Water Policy Manager at The Wildlife Trusts
Rivers in crisis: the polluter is supposed to pay – but now the taxpayer will pick up the bill instead.
In a ‘Brexit Bonus’ for housing developers, Rishi Sunak’s Government yesterday announced its plans to weaken the rules that prevent pollution of some of our most important wildlife sites.
Housebuilding adds to the nutrient pollution already affecting our rivers and coasts – lots of extra people flushing toilets means lots of extra sewage – and current legislation requires permission to be refused when a development would add even more pollution on top.
But claims that these rules created a ‘housing moratorium’ are disingenuous. Government, Local Authorities and others have quickly established schemes that allow developers to pay to reduce other sources of water pollution locally, meaning that on balance, the development would be ‘nutrient-neutral’. This has meant planning permission could be granted, safe in the knowledge that, overall, the development would not make pollution any worse.
But now these protections are set to be scrapped. Government is hoping that a package of pollution controls will be enough to ward off public criticism. But does the Government’s new offer add up?
What’s going?
Government will use the Levelling Up Bill, currently passing through Parliament, to alter the Habitats Regulations (the rules that protect internationally-important wildlife sites including rivers), dictating that planning authorities, when considering planning applications, must now ‘assume that nutrients in urban waste water from the potential development… will not adversely affect the relevant site.’ This means that the requirement to offset wastewater pollution will no longer need to be applied. Housebuilders complained that pollution-limiting requirements were ‘costly and time-consuming’, despite the success of schemes which saw farm pollution reduced, or wetlands created to buffer and filter pollution to offset that from new development.
What will happen instead?
Under these changes, instead of making developers pay to offset their pollution, eating into their profits, Government will increase funding to the nutrient mitigation scheme run by Natural England - meaning that taxpayers rather than builders will pay to prevent pollution. They say the funds will offset the pollution from ‘up to 100,000 homes between now and 2030’, but don’t mention how many more might be built, with no pollution offsets in place.
There are of course bigger polluters of our waterways than housebuilders – such as water companies and agriculture – but does that mean housebuilders should be allowed to pollute with impunity?
What else have Government promised?
Government rightly point out that the main problems faced by our waters are pollution from farms and from sewage (though of course the latter is not created out of thin air by water companies, but originates from – oh yes – housing…). That aside, they say tackling these main sources will mean that new homes are no longer pushing our nature sites over the limit. In addition to (taxpayers) funding the offset scheme, the Government also propose a package of measures to tackle these underlying failures:
- Requiring water companies to upgrade wastewater treatment works to the highest technical standards by 2030 – though this too will be funded by society, via water bills, and will leave sites under-protected until then.
- Tackling farm pollution, by providing funding for improved slurry storage and land management practices, and conducting 4,000 farm inspections a year.
- Developing ‘Protected Sites Strategies’ - plans to restore habitats and species in the areas most acutely affected, by taking action to reduce pollution at source.
Government has also put forward proposals that will make it easier for water companies to deliver the upgrades required to treatment works. This will allow the use of ‘green’ nature-based solutions – such as wetlands which help to treat wastewater, instead of costly ‘grey’ upgrades that rely on chemicals and concrete – and will permit companies to improve works flexibly within a catchment to achieve the same overall improvement, rather than achieving specific standards at specific works, in a move which should be far more affordable for water bill payers.
Whilst these announcements are all welcome, the wastewater upgrades were already planned for 2030, so they may now be more affordable, but won’t necessarily happen any faster. The other proposals will also take time to come into effect, and our protected sites will receive more pollution in the meantime.
As for the budget and policy commitments announced, these are not binding, and given that even laws are proving malleable, it’s hard to have confidence that the Government will stick to these promises. It’s also hard to gauge whether all of these offers amount to protection that is better, the same or worse than what we currently have - but we can at least assume that Government wouldn’t take the unprecedented step of weakening environmental laws if it were planning on matching the protections they currently provide.
Nature is in crisis – and the Government’s proposals place fragile rivers and our natural world at greater risk. Housebuilders don’t have to worry about the pollution that they cause anymore. But society and our rivers certainly do.
Comments
I am very shocked at the governments attitude to the environment. House building without any regard as to wether the site is suitable regarding availability of water, danger of so much extra sewage and lack of infrastructure. The relaxation proposed I’d a danger to health for people as well as wild life.
07 Sep 2023 10:35:00
This bill is an absolutely stupid change of existing regulations to protect our rivers and wildlife. It will encourage unwanted housing development in our countryside and more pollution. It will also let private companies responsible for drainage and sewage, such as Southern Water, to continue polluting our rivers and seashore.
07 Sep 2023 10:39:00
These actions are so retrograde considering the increase in housing is not being taken into account when compared to the ability of coping with the obvious increase in raw sewage.
07 Sep 2023 10:40:00
Save our environment don’t destroy we need it
07 Sep 2023 10:45:00
This is nothing short of an OUTRAGE. As it is, with some of the hottest weather we’ve ever experienced, one daren’t swim in rivers or the sea due to raw effluent and the poor fish and other wildlife are having enough of a battle to survive the warming temperatures and what that dies to vegetation and oxygen levels, without allowing GREEDY, disgusting, developers to circumvent legislation that is there for a damned good reason, just to make more profit. It’s corrupt. It’s simply NOT good enough. Does this apalli g government want the UK to become the toilet of Europe, with no safeguards – and no wildlife? It’s a damned disgrace.
07 Sep 2023 10:51:00
We must act now to protect our environment, we are running out of water, our population exploding , our natural resources being destroyed. If government starts acting rationally, instead of being swayed by budget, big business , and being HONEST , we might stand a chance. Certainly relaxing laws protecting the environment , is not the way forward. I trust our MP to add his voice , to prevent relaxation of laws and to promote a green environment above all else.
07 Sep 2023 10:57:00
We appear to be destroying wildlife in this country at a greater rate than ever. Since we left the EU this government has been tearing up legislation designed to protect wildlife and the environment. Allowing house building to further destroy our wetlands would be catastrophic. Unless this govern
ment changes it’s attitude towards wildlife I will never vote for them again having always voted for them previously.
07 Sep 2023 11:00:00
I am against pollution of our rivers but the article is inaccurate to the point of being actually dishonest. We need to pick our battles and not waste resources ‘tilting at windmills’.
07 Sep 2023 11:07:00
It’s a shame we can no longer trust our politicians – this and the last conservative government and Prime Minister lied about many things, including lies about how they will improve and strengthen environmental protection post Brexit. Sadly, I don’t believe the next government, even if a Labour Government will be much better as they are unconcerned by rural or environmental issues. We need to find better ways to hold our politicians to account as they favour the financial interests of their party donors and change the law with impunity.
07 Sep 2023 11:13:00
Please put plans in practice to clean our waterways. Currently a are an insult.
07 Sep 2023 11:20:00
Totally agree this bill must be stopped now
07 Sep 2023 11:21:00
I have concerns regarding our Sussex riverside, and how they will be affected by this matter.
There has been a considerable amount of new house building in Sussex
07 Sep 2023 11:22:00
Having read this report, and knowing the recent discoveries of the various failures of the privatised water companies (including the outrageous bonuses paid to their senior directors and managers and the benefits gained by some major shareholders, it is hard not to remain alarmed by our government’s attitude: lack of care and concern for: nature in in England; the health of the population of our country (that they purport to represent and act on behalf of).
This government clearly does NOT represent the people and our electoral system is not democratic. This is the crux of the matter and must be addressed before our government’s actions will begin to be fair and representative and the needs of nature addressed. Most of our politicians are in their jobs for their own selfish needs and desires.
This MUST change.
07 Sep 2023 11:23:00
What can one say, they do not want to know about Nature, and what that means to the people that care and worry about these issues.
07 Sep 2023 11:40:00
It is disappointing that this Government puts profits before the future of the planet! We need to protect nature, not weakening the rules that protect nature!
07 Sep 2023 11:52:00
This is an outrage. Almost unbelievable- except that disregard for our seas and rivers has been apparent for many years.
Living in the southeast, with its crumbling, inadequate infrastructure, and house building in almost every available space – regardless of suitability – it is an increasingly worrying scenario.
07 Sep 2023 11:56:00
I cannot believe the wilful neglect of our natural habitats which this government now seem determined to compromise. The countryside near my home in just outside Eastbourne, and many other areas in Sussex, is being completely eradicated by the endless properties being built. These are not “affordable” housing projects but profit making schemes for the property developers and they should be the ones paying for any offset costs
07 Sep 2023 11:59:00
Yet again the government caves in to moneyed interests. The government’s green agenda (if it still exists) should now be brown. Don’t expect me to vote Tory again.
07 Sep 2023 12:05:00
please please rethink this Bill. We must all do everything possible to protect our beautiful planet, for our younger generation, not leave them with further water pollution issues, need to be resolved now.
07 Sep 2023 12:17:00
I am afraid that this government really does’nt care about nature at all.It is about time they cracked down on the water companies,and had a look at their housing policies.Here in the south east we are one of the most crowded areas in Europe,but they are still building thousands more homes.There seems to be little regard for nature,open space or trees,i hope they will be happy when they have concreted over the lot,as that seems to be the way itis going.It makes me very sad.
07 Sep 2023 12:32:00
Like most of the population, I am appalled at this government’s moves to relax regulations currently controlling housing development. As an Eastbourne resident, I no longer feel confident about swimming in our polluted sea.
07 Sep 2023 12:50:00
The Habitats Regulations in the Levelling Up Bill must not be weakened. We need to do more to ensure that sewage is processed safely so that the environment does not suffer.
07 Sep 2023 13:38:00
Hmm! It all started with “privatisation” and the payment of dividends instead of running and investing in the future of the business. Incidentally why privatise monopolies? We can’t get our water anywhere else. But they continue to pollute the country. Fines are no good they just come out of the business. . Gaol is the only answer.
Also publish regularly the salaries and bonuses of the management! Embarrass the b**t**ds.
07 Sep 2023 13:41:00
The party I vote for in the next election will give a genuinely high priority to environmental issues instead of making empty and meaningless party political statements,
07 Sep 2023 13:48:00
In the District of Chichester, (West Sussex) where a vast amount of housing development is currently underway in locations just off the by-pass, the antiquated Victorian drainage system for the entire City, is already struggling to cope with the drainage pipework, which is now overflowing into rivers and other waterways, when encountering heavy rainfall, before new housing is built ! occupied.
07 Sep 2023 14:04:00
Please ensure that rivers are protected from pollution from various sources
07 Sep 2023 14:13:00
We need to protect our rivers and our cost for our children and grandchildren and leave our countryside a better place
07 Sep 2023 14:14:00
The current environmental “protections” around housebuilding clearly aren’t working judging by the assessment of our waterways and so perhaps the Government’s proposals may improve water quality – only time will tell. Clearly what needs to be done is investment in waste water treatment works in addition to nature based solutions to keep pace with development. This has sadly been neglected by Water Companies over many years and part of the targeted funds required should be provided by developers and enshrined in planning legislation. The alternative is to not build any more houses – probably politically and socially unacceptable!
07 Sep 2023 14:17:00
Our waterways are in a terrible state without loosing what small protection they have
07 Sep 2023 14:26:00
Yes we need more houses. But why o why do we have to lower our existing standards to build these house. We should be building houses and at the same time increasing our environmental protection of our already polluted waterways. We in UK have some of the worst water pollution in the world. This country is fast becoming a third rate country, and I am ashamed to to admit I am British. Get a grip NOW
07 Sep 2023 15:15:00
Disgusting! Money first. Everything else doesn’t matter😢
07 Sep 2023 15:25:00
I am very worried about the state of the rivers due to water pollution. The new law weakening the rules that builders of new homes have had to comply with is wrong in my opinion and should be reversed. this is a problem countrywide but on a local basis I am worried about tower blocks continuing to be built along the Thames, all of which require water supplies and sewers putting Thames water under further pressure and altering central London landscape for the worse. Developers should have to ask water companies if they are able to to supply water and drainage. I’m not sure that is the case now.
thanking you. Yours sincerely
07 Sep 2023 15:38:00
All very well but while population keeps rising need faster and bigger rate of housebuilding. We are investing far to little in the whole water infrastructure. eg in East Sussex I pay £400/500 for water and sewage and nearly £4000 to East Sussex and £4000 fo energy. So doubling water andmassively incea=easing cillection is a small price to pay to acheive what we both want
07 Sep 2023 15:49:00
I am disappointed at the Government’s attitude to pollution in rivers and the environment generally ,but not surprised. There needs to be a new legal regulation which states that no more housing or other development can be permitted in a particular area until the necessary infrastructure has been upgraded to a standard where there will be no more dumping waste into the environment. Dumping of sewage waste into rivers must not be permitted under any circumstances.
07 Sep 2023 16:13:00
Mess about with the fine balance of nature and the human race will suffer considerably. Over subscribed schools, health service in a state, infrastructure neglected and virtually no immigration policy. Wildlife existance is gradually being eroded due to the lack of green spaces and now the quality of our water and rivers are taking a hit. Is anyone in overall control ?
07 Sep 2023 16:47:00
Typical Tory behaviour let the private sector do as they want . It’s vital that nutrients are removed from sewage effluent to prevent eutrophication in rivers
07 Sep 2023 17:55:00
How dare the Government renege on their policies to protect the environment and especially at present the waterways THEY WILL NOW ALLOW THE HOUSEBUIDERS TO GET AWAY WITHOUT PAYING FOR THE INCREASE
How dare the Government renege on their policies to protect the environment especiallt the waterways at present. They are giving the housebuilders the chance not to have to pay for sewage for houses they build. They are also not fining companies such as Southern Water for the sewage discharged when it is not even raining. Speaking to a fisherman last night I was horrified at the amount of pollution from the Groombridge Sewage Works in the Medway including ecoli able to kill people as well as dogs. The whole thing is a disgrace as we are not meant to be a third world country.
7th Sept 2023 7.30pm
07 Sep 2023 18:29:00
Protect nature from farm pollution and sewage pollution for us and our children
07 Sep 2023 21:35:00
It more than depressing the way that this government disregards nature and natural habitats in favour of concrete and tarmac
07 Sep 2023 22:28:00
We are seeing pollution here in Kent in the river where the Anglers club have tested water and found high nitrate level etc.. The sewage overflow has now damaged a part of the river due to southern water letting excess overflow in to it. A dog died through polluted water after splashing in the river, confirmed found by GP testing the water was ecoli. Something has to change, someone has to be held accountable and start rectifying the damage being done.
08 Sep 2023 00:24:00
The behaviour of our government has been driven by the direction of big business, in every way for many years. This is not surprising at all, but simply a predictable result of government in the UK having gone wrong. Sadly it is now a fundamental aspect of society that those in power are totally steered by people with self serving needs and there is almost nothing that can be done about it. The super rich heads of big business are the new ruling class and legislation follows their whims.
Write to your MP by all means, but what difference will that make really? A change of government won’t help much either, that will simply change the faces of the puppets.
08 Sep 2023 07:33:00
It is ridiculous that tax-payers will have to pay for the pollution to water courses caused by extra housebuilding. If the Government were to fulfil their promise of getting rid of economic migrants, there would not be this push for so many houses to be built in unsuitable areas. We need to think about our wildlife and our people. Who would want to go swimming where there is sewage and other pollutants.
08 Sep 2023 10:23:00
What a disgrace. We need more protective meauresto tackle the pollution of our rivers and seas,watering them down is not acceptable.I presume the government and water companies have no interest in their own childrens future.How can they be so sortsighted?
08 Sep 2023 11:03:00
Keep urging the water companies to protect our rivers and streams – surely their shareholders must have nature lovers amongst them and want to do what is right.
08 Sep 2023 11:47:00
It is so depressing to hear this – and shortsighted. What will our grandchildren be left with?
08 Sep 2023 14:41:00
This is absolutely unbelievable. The government should be doing everything it can to protect wildlife. Our rivers are already depleted and in a dangerous state
08 Sep 2023 17:17:00
PLEASE Sally-Ann, do the right thing vis a vis protecting our beautiful island!
08 Sep 2023 18:05:00
It is with total disbelief I read your report. We are told that our local planning authorities are unable to refuse planning if our Water companies state they can cope. It’s clear they aren’t coping and indeed won’t cope in the future. The system is broken and corrupt putting profit before health. Will our children and grandchildren inherit poisoned rivers and polluted coastline.
08 Sep 2023 19:36:00
As MPs you have a responsibility to represent the views of constituents. I find it incredible that legislation changes adversely affecting waterways can even be considered . This has to stop . Please – do not allow this change to go ahead .
09 Sep 2023 06:17:00
We need to protect our rivers and our cost for our children and grandchildren and leave our countryside a better place
09 Sep 2023 07:05:00
Please don’t let the government scrap the house builders pollution tax! I don’t want to pay for it and it’s not right
09 Sep 2023 09:02:00
I’m so sad at the current destruction of our beautiful island and its wildlife. And I’m disgusted with this uncaring government (although I have no faith in any of our politicians). STOP THIS BILL.
09 Sep 2023 11:17:00
WHat are we doing to this planet? We must stop this short-termism
09 Sep 2023 12:10:00
No matter what party is or will be in power there is a drive to build homes to satiate the demand so I cannot see any meaningful changes happening. Is it absolutely necessary to build close to rivers as these are the properties that get premium prices for a river view and am sure we aren’t talking about true affordable housing. However it sticks in the craw that the poor old taxpayer has to foot the bill for builders to maintain their profit, water companies to pay out big executive wages and dividends with impunity. It would have been nice to have seen in the legislation that CEO’s of any company taking tax payers money being made criminally liable for polluting the waters and also that no money can be taken in dividends or bonuses unless the company can show it is providing the service and investment it is supposed to do. Also the EA and OFWAT be given teeth and funding, perhaps courtesy of the fat cats and no executives leave the latter two companies to join the water companies which has happened, draw your own inferences there. Until failure is stopped being rewarded the decline will sadly continue.
09 Sep 2023 17:14:00
The behaviour of our government has been driven by the direction of big business, in every way for many years. This is not surprising at all, but simply a predictable result of government in the UK having gone wrong. Sadly it is now a fundamental aspect of society that those in power are totally steered by people with self serving needs and there is almost nothing that can be done about it. The super rich heads of big business are the new ruling class and legislation follows their whims.
Write to your MP by all means, but what difference will that make really? A change of government won’t help much either, that will simply change the faces of the puppets.
10 Sep 2023 08:04:00
Mankind is the most destructive on Earth ( The Pearl of the known Universe )
Please could ALL Politicians lead by example ( it’s what they are paid to do. ) by responsibly changing Mankind’s direction, immediately stop polluting & destroying all Natural Environments & make all building Eco friendly & do it NOW!!!!
10 Sep 2023 20:59:00
This bill is a dangerous change of existing regulations to protect our rivers and wildlife. It will encourage unwanted housing development in our countryside and more pollution. It will also let the private companies responsible for drainage and sewage, such as Southern Water, continue polluting our rivers and seashore.
11 Sep 2023 00:05:00
When so much good work is being carried out, by people that care about nature, it is an outrage that the Government is doing this!
12 Sep 2023 07:16:00
This attempt by government to weaken the safeguards against River pollution has just been thrown out by the Lords , let’s hope the government doesn’t re introduce it in the next queen’s speech. There has been no commitment to address the decline in our environment by either of the two main parties over the last twenty years , needs a complete change , a green government, depressingly not going to happen without electoral reform.
14 Sep 2023 09:06:00
The polluter MUST pay and remain accountable to our planet and its natural resources. Greater profit margins do not benefit the common good of all life on earth, human, plant or other animal but protecting nature does benefit the common good of all life in earth. We cannot sustain life for the common good of this and other generations without protecting nature, why then does government feel the profit of few is more important than the preservation of life for all?
17 Sep 2023 12:32:00
This is an outrage. Almost unbelievable- except that disregard for our seas and rivers has been apparent for many years.
Living in the southeast, with its crumbling, inadequate infrastructure, and house building in almost every available space – regardless of suitability – it is an increasingly worrying scenario.
18 Sep 2023 16:41:00
Protecting our rivers and waterways is essential as far as I’m concerned. The infrastructure should be in place before any house building is done. SouthernWater is notorious for sewerage spills, and you cannot keep stealing from rivers and waterways. Besides this the developers should be paying for the infrastructure not the people. The government needs to up its protection of the environment not disregard it.
21 Oct 2023 19:46:00