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Environmental Audit Committee Chair welcomes Government’s plan for River Wye investment

15 April 2024

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.”

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