Cash flow to pay for clean-up in rivers

Regional environment groups will be able to bid for a slice of the cash, to be spent on removing invasive weeds and animals, clearing up pollution and removing redundant weirs, dams and other man-made structures over the next four years.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said local groups will be able to launch funding bids early next year.

In Yorkshire, pilot schemes are already under way to improve the Don and Rother rivers and it is hoped additional funding can be secured to build on that work.

Jeff Pacey, programme manager for the Environment Agency (EA) said: “We’re delighted that this money has been made available to help us build on the great improvements we’ve already seen to the region’s waterways. They’re in the best condition for 20 years.

“We’re looking now for opportunities to maximise the benefits we get from the money and will be particularly focusing on clearing rivers of obstructions which stop fish migrating and on getting on top of invasive foreign weeds such as Japanese knotweed and floating pennywort.

“There is a pilot project looking at the rivers Don and Rother in South Yorkshire. We’ll be working on what can be done to improve them further and will look to work with partners such as Yorkshire Water, local councils, wildlife trusts and rivers trust to come up with solutions.”

Some £92m is available to clear up invasive weeds, animals and pollution as well as removing man-made structures. The money will be shared between the EA, Natural England and groups such as the Association of River Trusts, with a significant portion going to a “catchment restoration” fund to support local projects across the country.

An additional £18m will be provided to help farmers reduce pollution from agriculture and protect rivers, for example by putting in “buffer strips” of land between fields and water courses.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “The health of our rivers has come along in leaps and bounds, but we still see nasty invasive weeds and lifeless waters blight our blue spaces in our cities and countryside.

“With this funding, we’ll help all our waterways and streams thrive by tackling problems that until now have been sitting in the ‘too-hard’ basket.

“Our new grass-roots approach to boosting healthier waterways and flourishing wildlife has local experience and knowledge at its heart.”

The pilot projects being carried out in South Yorkshire on the Don and Rother are two of 10 nationwide. They were launched to test a more “locally-driven way of working” by engaging those who have an interest in cleaning up waterways while reducing regulation by focusing on smaller catchment areas.

Currently, Defra and the EA work across England’s 11 large river basins but the new pilots are based on smaller catchment areas – there are upwards of 100 in England – to identify what actions are effective in cleaning up waterways.

Only 26 per cent of England’s waterways are considered “good” under the Water Framework Directive.