£11.5 million of government support funding will enable local projects across England to clean up lakes and rivers, protect communities from flooding and plant thousands of trees.

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.

The uplift will be allocated to local catchment partnerships through the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) supporting 180 local projects across England. Projects to be funded this year include:

• The Limestone Becks River Restoration project in Lincolnshire, which will provide improved habitats for wildlife from water voles to invertebrates;
• Phase II of The York Urban Becks project, which aims to create a more natural river course and support local habitats; and
• The Woods for Devon project, creating woodlands to improve water quality, support wildlife, and carbon capture.

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.

Delivered by the Environment Agency, the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) was established in 2016 and funds projects that deliver on the government commitments set out in the Plan for Water to ensure clean and plentiful water for the future.

Water Minister Robbie Moore MP said:

“These local catchment partnerships do excellent work and I am pleased that we are able to give this additional funding to help deliver projects where rivers need it most.

“It 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.”

Chair of the Environment Agency Alan Lovell said the funding builds on the steps the Agency is taking to improve water quality and protect the environment, including expanding its specialised workforce and increase water company inspections this year, along with powers to levy uncapped penalties on those who pollute waterways.

In recent years, the Fund has supported a number of projects across the country. In 2021-22, £888,000 was given to the Developing the Natural Aire project in Yorkshire to install fish passes. It resulted in 50km of habitat being reconnected, 8,410 trees being planted and delivered 220 volunteer days and 123 community events.

The £11.5 million funding uplift is in addition to the existing £3 million the Environment Agency has already been allocated for this financial year for local project to improve water quality.

The 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.