Meeting with Wye MPs

On the 4th October we convened a meeting with MPs in the Wye catchment. It was fantastic to see four MPs, from four different parties, willing to collaborate for the cause of clean water and restoring our rivers. 

The meeting at Hay Parish Hall was attended by David Chadwick (MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, Liberal Democrat), Ellie Chowns (MP for North Herefordshire, Green), Catherine Fookes (MP for Monmouthshire, Labour) and Jesse Norman (MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative). Matt Bishop (MP for the Forest of Dean, Labour) was unable to attend but sent his apologies. Trustees of Friends of the River Wye attended, as well as a representative from Save the Wye.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss our People’s Plan for the River Wye, which we presented before the election in the form of our Manifesto. We also shared the findings of local citizen scientists with the MPs. 

All present agreed that a cross-border approach is essential. The Wye winds between Wales and England and the river knows no borders. It is vital that there is formal liaison between DEFRA and the Welsh Government with Ministerial direction. 

Agricultural pollution is the major threat to the Wye. In the Wye catchment, modelling by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales shows that over 72% of the phosphorus pollution comes from agricultural land and less than a quarter from sewage.

We called for more enforcement action against polluters. DEFRA and the Welsh Government must move beyond the ‘advice and guidance’ model which is failing to protect the environment. At the moment, when agricultural pollution is found, advice is given to remedy it and there is rarely any penalty. There must be consequences for those breaking environmental regulations. This would also provide a fair playing field for farmers and agricultural businesses because at the moment the more responsible farmers and businesses are financially penalised for their efforts because they’re undercut by less scrupulous actors. 

The new Labour government has announced plans in the Water (Special Measures) Bill to give the EA greater powers to tackle pollution from water companies, specifically enabling fixed penalties to be given according to a civil standard of proof rather than a criminal standard and for the fines to be higher. We need such powers extended to all polluters and would like similar tools to deal with agricultural pollution too.

We discussed the case for a Water Protection Zone for the Wye to bring in special measures to rescue the river. It will take extraordinary action to turn around the river’s decline. 

We stressed that political action ought to be rooted in the evidence and led by local stakeholders such as the Wye Catchment Partnership. 

We wondered whether the money allocated to the River Wye in the previous government’s Action Plan would still be available. The MPs are seeking answers on this, whilst recognising that we would like to see more flexibility in how this money is spent so that it can support river-friendly farming. 

Since the meeting, MP Jesse Norman asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Reed, whether the money allocated for the River Wye Action Plan will be retained. Reed said he can’t give an answer until after the spending review, so uncertainty remains. 

MP Ellie Chowns presented her own Water (Agricultural Pollution) Bill to Parliament to draw attention to the fact that the government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill makes no mention of agricultural pollution, despite the fact that it’s a major problem. 

Chowns has also set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Water Pollution, which already has many members, including MP Catherine Fookes. 

In early November, MP Catherine Fookes asked Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions: ‘Will the Prime Minister put the River Wye into special measures by designating it a Water Protection Zone? And will he meet with me and the excellent cross-border Wye Catchment Partnership to deliver their plan to clean up the Wye?’

Starmer promised Fookes a meeting with the relevant minister. 

We hope that English and Welsh government ministers will meet urgently to discuss action on agricultural pollution and the case for designating a Water Protection Zone for the Wye. 

We will continue following what actions our MPs take to help restore our rivers.