The government has announced a new plan to better protect and preserve the River Wye for future generations, including up to £35 million in funding and the appointment of a new ‘River Champion’ and taskforce.

The condition of the River Wye and its surrounding area is declining due to pressures including climate change, invasive species, and pollution from various sources, including from farms across the catchment area.

The government said it is working at pace to intervene after the condition of the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which covers the stretch of the river in England, was downgraded to ‘Unfavourable – Declining’ last year.

The River Wye Action Plan sets out a range of measures to begin protecting the river immediately from pollution and establish long-term plans to restore it for future generations. This includes requiring large poultry farms to export manure away from areas where they would otherwise cause excess pollution and providing up to £35 million in grant support for on-farm poultry manure combustors in the Wye Special Area of Conservation catchment to facilitate the export of poultry litter to where it is needed.

Combusting poultry manure provides a source of renewable energy and converts manure to a nutrient rich ash, which is a valuable fertiliser that is easier to transport and use on farms - reducing risk to the environment. Any new combustion units will need approval – the government will work with local stakeholders and regulators to ensure robust assessments for protection of the environment and human health.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer has appointed former Member of European Parliament, Anthea McIntyre CBE, as ‘River Champion’ in the Wye catchment. Announcing the appointment, the government said that as a resident of the Wye Catchment and having represented the West Midlands Region as an MEP for eight years, Anthea McIntyre will bring a deep understanding and appreciation for local issues – particularly in the water and agricultural sectors.

In this role, she will bring together key organisations and partners to protect and restore the Wye, including by supporting a long-term catchment plan. This will involve working alongside the local Catchment Partnership and citizen scientists, who have already made progress in bringing together farmers and other land managers around a long-term plan to restore the river.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

“The River Wye is facing real challenges, which is why the government is taking action to restore this important landscape and ensure it is better protected for future generations.

“Our plan will dramatically reduce the amount of nutrients entering the river, mostly by helping farmers transition to more sustainable practices. This will include providing up to £35m for on farm poultry litter combustors and trialling the use of emerging technology to help farmers share organic nutrients with their neighbours.”

Marc Lidderth, Area Director for the West Midlands, Environment Agency said:

“The introduction of this wide-ranging plan allows the Environment Agency to capitalise on its work already underway with partners, local farmers and environmental groups to tackle the decline in water quality in the catchment. Together we can progress the long-term solutions needed to restore this vital waterway.

“Since April 2023, the Environment Agency has carried out over 500 farm inspections across the Wye catchment, helping farmers comply with legal requirements and resulting in more than 315 actions identified to improve farm practices. These range from improving slurry storage to better management of nutrients. Our regulatory work will continue across the Wye, with Environment Agency officers inspecting farms as well as using technology such as satellite images and drone footage.”

Further actions outlined in the plan include:

• Creating a level playing field for the export of poultry manure from intensive poultry farms with over 40,000 birds by reforming Environmental Permitting Regulations.
• Proving the concept of a circular economy in manure nutrients with the potential added benefit of boosting rural renewable energy, through a carefully supported Pilot Farm Trial of Micro Anaerobic Digesters (AD).
• Promoting soil and nutrient retention in local fields with new actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in Summer 2024, including No Till arable farming.
• Providing £1.5 million of development funding to the local Wyescapes and Wye Valley – Ridge to River – Landscape Recovery Projects over the next two years (subject to the projects passing enrolment checks).
• Providing funding for the Restoring our Rivers project and Arrow Valley Diversity Project, delivered with local partners in the next financial year.
• Working with partners in academia, agriculture and the third sector (both in England and Wales) to produce new evidence on how farmers can mitigate pollution, including from legacy phosphate deeper in the soil structure.

EAC Chair welcomes Government announcement

Responding to the Government’s announcement of a plan and investment for the River Wye, Environmental Audit Committee Chair Philip Dunne said:

“I welcome this announcement, which is an important step in restoring the health of one of our most precious rivers.

“The Committee’s 2022 report on 'Water quality in rivers’ demonstrated the enormous and unsustainable pressure placed on river catchments like the Wye by intensive livestock and poultry farming. Incentivising farmers to remove poultry waste away from the river catchment, and towards areas where it is needed, or to generate energy, is the right approach.

“The Committee also called for the Government to use the planning system to take action against pollution from new intensive poultry or livestock farms. So far, the Government has not taken this up, but I look forward to working with the Government and its new Wye ‘River Champion’, Anthea McIntyre CBE, on the further action required to secure the future of the Wye.”