Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
Paragraph: 106
Intensive livestock and poultry farming appears to be putting enormous pressure on particular catchments, such...
Conclusion
Intensive livestock and poultry farming appears to be putting enormous pressure on particular catchments, such as those feeding the river Wye running through Wales and the south-west Midlands. The number of chickens being reared there appears Water quality in rivers 121 to have increased significantly, and pollution from their waste appears to be finding its way into river waters. The potential impact of intensive agricultural practices on river water quality must be fully acknowledged and the risks mitigated. One means of doing this is through farming which is as sensitive as possible to its effect on water quality in catchments.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Government is committed, in the Agricultural Transition Plan, to make funding available for farmers to improve their slurry infrastructure (including storage and covers) from autumn 2022. Funding is currently offered for separation, scraping and precision-spreading techniques, enabling farmers to start making upgrades and improvements to their slurry systems.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
106
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The Government is concerned by the stalling effect of nutrient neutrality on new housebuilding and the planning system. We will focus on reducing pollution at source as a priority, to ensure that sites can be recovered, as well as supporting sustainable development in catchment areas affected. The Government agrees that planners should understand risks to the water environment when considering granting permissions, but care should be taken in balancing the role of different public bodies in managing pollution risks. DLUHC have provided Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) with funding for a catchment officer to help identify nutrient mitigation to allow development to continue, and Natural England are proactively working with LPAs to ensure mitigation is appropriate and sufficient. We must ensure that planning authorities are not required to consider matters outside of their expertise or expected to become involved in regular farm management activities that could place a heavy additional burden on the planning system. The relevant regulator in this case is the Environment Agency.
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