Newspaper Column 13th May 2024 - Improving Water Quality and protecting our Environment

This Government is taking more steps than any other to improve our environment and boost water quality. Last week, to go along with the many measures already announced and at work, the Government announced 180 new projects with £11.5m extra funding to boost tree planting, habitat restoration and flood management across England through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.

The funding, which includes money from the Nature for Climate Fund, will also unlock up to an extra £11.5 million from organisations including the National Lottery, local rivers and wildlife trusts or from private investment, bringing the total possible investment to £23 million.

Overall, the additional funding is expected to lead to an additional 300km of English rivers being protected and improved. It will also support the creation and restoration of around 160 hectares of inland and coastal waters.

Catchment partnerships take a collaborative approach to improving river quality and enhancing biodiversity at a catchment level, using local knowledge and expertise.

They bring together government, local authorities, landowners, local eNGOs, regulators, farmers, academia, local businesses and water companies.

This announcement includes four projects in Cornwall and builds on recent measures to clean up our rivers including consulting on a ban on water company bonuses, launching a new Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment, and a fourfold increase in Environment Agency inspections.

Last week’s announcement follows recent measures delivered to improve the water environment, including:

• A new £11m Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment.
• Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England - providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen.
• Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.
• Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp ageing assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year.
• Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritising bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest and shellfish waters.
• A targeted plan to better preserve and protect the River Wye, including £35m in funding.
• Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.

I will continue to do all I can to ensure Cornwall gets its fair share of funding announced in schemes like this, as well as working with my Cornish MP colleagues to continue to hold South West Water to account.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.