UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Record farmers in SFI schemes as government successfully allocates sustainable farming budget [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Record farmers in SFI schemes as government successfully allocates sustainable farming budget [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 March 2025.

    More than 50,000 farm businesses are benefitting from farming schemes and more money is being spent through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) than ever.

    • SFI24 has reached its completion, and the Government is stopping accepting new SFI applications today
    • Every penny in every existing SFI agreement will be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications will be taken forward

    With record numbers of farm businesses in farming schemes and the sustainable farming budget successfully allocated, the Government has today (Tuesday 11 March) stopped accepting new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI24).

    Every penny in all existing SFI agreements will be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications that have been submitted will also be taken forward.

    This Government inherited farming schemes which were underspent, meaning millions of pounds were not going to farming businesses. At the budget, the Government proudly secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion was committed in the farming budget over a two-year period.

    As a result of the Government’s determination to get more farmers to participate, there is now a record 50,000 farm businesses and more than half of all farmed land is now managed under our schemes.

    The largest of these schemes, SFI, now has more than 37,000 multi-year live agreements and is not only delivering sustainable food production and nature’s recovery for today and the years ahead, but it is also putting money back into farmers pockets.

    However, this Government inherited an uncapped scheme, despite a finite farming budget. The highest ever level of participation in SFI means the maximum limit has now been reached. Therefore, as SFI has reached its completion the Government is stopping accepting new SFI applications today.

    Now is the right time for a reset: supporting farmers, delivering for nature and targeting public funds fairly and effectively towards our priorities for food, farming and nature.

    Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said:

    This Government is proud to have set the biggest budget for sustainable food produce in history, to boost growth in rural communities and all across the UK, under our Plan for Change.

    More farmers are now in schemes and more money is being spent through them than ever before. That is true today and will remain true tomorrow.

    We have now successfully allocated the SFI24 budget as promised.

    Environmental Land Management scheme agreements will remain in place, including SFI, and there will be a new and improved SFI on offer with details to follow the Spending Review. This will be underpinned by the Government’s cast iron commitment to food security, focusing on food production, creating more resilient farm businesses alongside supporting nature recovery.

    The future SFI offer will build on what has made the current scheme effective. It will:

    • Deliver our vision of a sector with food production at its core, supporting less resilient farm businesses alongside nature recovery;
    • Ensure it delivers value for money for taxpayers alongside investing in sustainable food production and nature recovery;
    • Cap the budget and put in place strong budgetary controls so that SFI is affordable to the public purse;
    • Better target SFI, in a fair and orderly way, towards the priorities set out on food, farming and nature;
    • And, as the scheme is designed and evolving, listen to farmers feedback to ensure we learn and improve the scheme for the future.

    The improved SFI scheme will be another step in this government’s New Deal for farmers to support growth and return farm businesses to profitability.

    The Government recently announced a raft of new policies to help boost profits for farmers and will go further to ensure farming becomes more profitable for the future by backing British produce, protecting farmers in trade deals, improving supply chain fairness and reforming planning rules on farms to support food security.

    The Seasonal Worker Visa Scheme has also been extended for 5 years, the government have committed £110 million in farming grants to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the sector and announced plans to invest over £200 million in a new National Biosecurity Centre to protect livestock from diseases.

    As set out in the Plan for Change, the Government is focused on supporting our farmers, rural economic growth and boosting Britain’s food security and are going further to develop a 25-year farming roadmap to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and Welsh Government unite in £1m fund to transform River Wye [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and Welsh Government unite in £1m fund to transform River Wye [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 March 2025.

    UK and Welsh Government unite in £1 Million fund to transform River Wye

    • Water Minister Emma Hardy and Deputy First Minister of Wales hosts roundtable at River Wye to kickstart action to tackle local pollution
    • UK and Welsh Governments announce £1m research fund to tackle pollution in iconic river
    • River Wye is latest visit in Environment Secretary and Water Minister’s tour across UK to see how water investment underpins government’s Plan for Change

    The Welsh and UK Government have today announced a new £1 million joint research initiative to tackle water quality issues in the River Wye.

    The Welsh Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, and UK Government’s Water Minister, Emma Hardy, made the announcement during a roundtable meeting in Monmouth with key stakeholders from both sides of the border.

    The comprehensive cross-border research programme will:

    • Investigate the sources of the pollution and pressures affecting the river
    • Study the impacts of changing farming practices and land management
    • Develop and test new ways to improve water quality
    • Examine what’s driving wildlife decline and water flow – the movement and quantity of water which is crucial for habitats and species

    Local farmers, environmental groups, and citizen scientists will play a crucial role in gathering evidence and shaping the research priorities. The programme will work closely with established organisations including the Wye Catchment Partnership, the Nutrient Management Board, and farming organisations like Herefordshire Rural Hub and Farm Cymru.

    Following the visit to Monmouth, Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

    “For too long, the River Wye has suffered from extreme pollution, leading to devastating effects on wildlife and impacting all those who live along its banks.

    “That is why we’re resetting relationships on both sides of the border to share our knowledge and make sure this research translates into real action.

    “Our Water (Special Measures) Act has laid the foundations for cleaning up the water system. As part of the government’s Plan for Change to grow the economy and make Britain better off, over £100 billion of private sector money is being invested into the water sector to upgrade and build infrastructure.

    “But we must go further, and vital research like this gets us one step closer to cleaning up rivers like the Wye for good”

    Deputy First Minister of Wales Huw Irranca-Davies said:

    “This is an important step to protect the River Wye, and we are committed to continuing to work together to restore our rivers.

    “This research funding will support both nature recovery and sustainable farming practices to improve the local environment.

    “By bringing together expertise from both sides of the border and working closely with local groups, we can better understand the challenges facing the river and find the solutions that will make a difference.”

    The initiative builds on existing collaboration between the UK and Welsh governments, including an ongoing £20 million project addressing soil phosphorus levels through the Land Use for Net Zero, People and Nature programme.

    This new research will support wider government planning on water quality, nature recovery and farming regulation by identifying effective interventions that can be implemented at a landscape scale.

    Minister’s visit to Wales is the latest in a series of visits this week by the Environment Secretary and Water Minister Emma Hardy to iconic water sites across England and Wales as part of the ‘Things Can Only Get Cleaner’ tour, to see where investment in water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies – a cornerstone of the government’s Plan for Change.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK unequivocally condemns the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK unequivocally condemns the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2025.

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

    Let me begin by commending UNAMA for their invaluable work supporting the people of Afghanistan.

    This is remains vital whilst Afghans – especially women and girls – continue to suffer under a series of oppressive restrictions.

    At the time, members of the Taliban claimed that the March 2022 ban on secondary education for girls was temporary.

    Almost three years on, girls in Afghanistan continue to be denied their right to education.

    On the opening day of the Commission on the Status of Women, the United Kingdom joins others in unequivocally condemning this ban and all others which restrict Afghan women and girls’ rights and fundamental freedoms.

    We strongly urge their immediate reversal, and we support greater accountability efforts, including the referral of Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

    President, the Taliban face a choice – if they want to be integrated into the international community then they must adhere to their international obligations including on human rights, political inclusion, and counter terrorism.

    This is clearly laid out in the Special Coordinator’s Independent Assessment and Security Council resolution 2721 (2023).

    The UK, with other members of the international community, has engaged constructively with the UN-led process, including through the Doha meetings and working groups on counternarcotics and the private sector.

    But continued engagement is not guaranteed without reciprocity and commitment from the Taliban in return.

    We welcome the continued efforts of UNAMA and the UN’s good offices towards this end and encourage further dialogue between all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and in support of the people of Afghanistan, especially its women and girls.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Planning revolution to fuel growth and make Britain energy secure [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Planning revolution to fuel growth and make Britain energy secure [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero on 10 March 2025.

    Dozens of clean energy projects will jump to the front of the queue for grid connections, through new measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

    • Grid connections for the most important projects for clean power to be prioritised by 2030, replacing the archaic ‘first come, first served’ process
    • Wait for new grid connections will be cut by up to seven years
    • Measures include speeding up the construction of new energy infrastructure with targeted reforms to support planning decisions on at least 150 major projects this Parliament
    • Delivering the government’s clean power mission and Plan for Change to drive growth, create jobs, and protect billpayers in every region across the country

    Dozens of clean energy projects, including wind and solar power, will jump to the front of the queue for grid connections, as the government paves the way for a new era of clean electricity through the Plan for Change to achieve clean power by 2030.

    The landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be formally introduced to Parliament this week, laying the groundwork for a new approach to prioritise new transmission infrastructure which will unlock growth with £200 billion of investment and protect households from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.

    Ready-to-go projects from solar farms to new factories currently face lengthy connection waits of up to 10 years due to an out of date connections process, creating uncertainty for communities and businesses, costing the taxpayer millions of pounds, and weakening the country’s energy security.

    The flawed ‘first come, first served’ process is preventing viable infrastructure from being able to connect ahead of speculative projects clogging up the queue, and will be replaced by a ‘first ready, first connected’ system that prioritises the right homegrown clean power projects for quicker connections to build an energy system that can bring down bills for good.

    For decades, developers, energy companies and businesses have been inundated with lengthy processes and planning delays that have acted as a barrier to growth, and the forthcoming Bill will set out how the delivery process for critical infrastructure will be streamlined.

    Decisions for onshore and offshore wind, solar power, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power stations will be fast-tracked to accelerate growth, creating thousands of new jobs, adding billions to the UK economy, and delivering more clean energy for people to heat and power their homes.

    These changes will not only rollback planning delays to get Britain building but also deliver a more prosperous and energy secure future for the next generation, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to boost growth and living standards in every region across the country and put more money back into people’s pockets.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

    “Time and again blockers have been allowed to halt progress at every turn which has weakened our energy security and left our country exposed to soaring energy bills for working people, families and businesses. This cannot and will not continue under my watch.

    “Through our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill we’re taking bold action to fix the broken planning system, paving the way for us to get Britain building more vital infrastructure so our children and grandchildren can grow up in a more energy secure world.

    “This is just one of many steps we’re taking to deliver our Plan for Change for working people and families with a decade of national renewal, unleashing growth to boost living standards, slash everyday costs and increase prosperity for all.”

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

    “The only way to get Britain off dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators is with clean homegrown power that we control.

    “By taking on a broken planning system that puts the brakes on growth, this Government is driving forward with our clean energy superpower mission and Plan for change

    “Every turbine, every solar panel, every cable we connect helps protect families and paves the way for a new era of clean energy for our country.”

    New measures will speed up the approval process for nationally significant infrastructure projects by making consultation less burdensome, strengthening guidance to expert bodies and local authorities about their role in the process, and updating National Policy Statements at least every five years to reflect government priorities for infrastructure delivery.

    This will support the government’s pledge to make planning decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects, including wind, solar, and hydrogen, in this Parliament – almost tripling the 57 decisions made in the previous Parliament and more than 130 made since 2011.

    The government has already agreed 10 so far, including several energy projects such as six solar farms, amounting to nearly 3 gigawatts of new clean energy for the country.

    A series of targeted reforms to accelerate growth and speed up the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan will be brought forward in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. These include:

    • People living within up to 500 metres of new pylons will get electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years to ensure those hosting critical grid infrastructure benefit from supporting the government’s mission to clean power by the end of this decade.
    • Instructing Ofgem to deliver a ‘cap and floor’ scheme to unlock billions of pounds of investment in long duration electricity storage (LDES) to store renewable power and deliver the first major projects in four decades.
    • Replacing street works licences with permits to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints and make it easier, cheaper, and faster to install on public roads and streets.
    • Changes to the outdated planning rules for new clean electricity infrastructure in Scotland, such as onshore wind farms and pylons, cutting excessive and costly delays to the process while ensuring local voices are heard in applications.
    • An extension to the generator commissioning period (GCC) from 18 to 27 months to reduce the number of offshore wind farms requiring exemptions when applying for licences to connect to onshore cables and substations.

    Further changes will also be confirmed to the excessive rules around attempts to block major infrastructure through the courts with more unarguable cases thrown out, so nuclear plants and wind farms can be approved and built faster. This is on top of streamlining environment assessments to save developers time and money while boosting nature recovery and wildlife.

    Note to editors:

    • The government recently announced its commitment to deliver a new 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, providing more certainty for supply chains and helping to unlock private investment over the next decade for new housing, schools, hospitals, and public transport.
    • New planning reforms unveiled this week will also support the government’s Plan for Change milestone to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, recognising that more renewable energy and electricity networks are crucial to meeting this ambitious target.
    • Working with Parliamentarians, the government will ensure a smooth and speedy delivery of the Bill to become law as soon as possible.
    • Reforms to the grid connections queue are subject to a final approval by Ofgem. In February, Ofgem announced it is minded to approve the reforms.
  • PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on DPRK ballistic missile launches [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on DPRK ballistic missile launches [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2025.

    The FCDO has released a statement following ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 10 March.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    DPRK’s ballistic missile launches on 10 March are another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

    The UK strongly urges the DPRK to stop such provocations and return to dialogue.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Trump of the United States [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Trump of the United States [March 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 March 2025.

    The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump ahead of the US Ukraine dialogue in Saudi Arabia.

    The Prime Minister said that UK officials had been speaking to Ukraine officials over the weekend and they remain committed to a lasting peace.

    The Prime Minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US aid and intelligence sharing to be restarted.

    The two leaders also spoke about the economic deal they had discussed at the White House and the Prime Minister welcomed the detailed conversations that had already happened to move this forward. Both leaders agreed to stay in touch.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2025.

    UK Statement for the Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Delivered at the 58th HRC in Geneva.

    Thank you Mr Vice President.

    The United Kingdom thanks the panellists for their contributions to this important discussion.

    We recognise the transformative impact that digital and assistive technology can have for people with disabilities.

    Two and a half billion people globally need to use at least one type of assistive technology, but in low-income countries only 10% of people have access to what they need.

    We note the report’s recommendations on building strong partnerships. The UK’s AT2030 programme will soon launch the Assistive Technology Growth Fund, an ambitious pathway for high-potential assistive technology, bringing together traditional donors and private capital.

    We would also like to thank the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities for their report on the Beijing Declaration and women and girls with disabilities. When women, girls, and other marginalised groups are empowered, they lift up whole families, communities and economies.

    Through our partnerships with grassroots women’s rights organisations, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and our engagement in multilateral fora, the United Kingdom will continue to empower and champion the rights of all women and girls, amplifying the voices and agency of women and girls with disabilities.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Water investment to fuel jobs, growth and sustainability in Bath [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Water investment to fuel jobs, growth and sustainability in Bath [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 March 2025.

    Water Minister Emma Hardy visits the £35 million expansion of the Saltford Water Recycling Plant which will support economic and residential growth in Bath.

    Communities in Bath are set to benefit from new jobs, economic growth, and improved water quality on the River Avon with the expansion of the Saltford Water Recycling Plant.

    After years of failure, our water infrastructure is crumbling, and public anger is growing over leaking pipes and sewage spills. We haven’t built a new reservoir in over 30 years, and by 2050, demand will exceed supply.

    Visiting the site today (March 10), Water Minister Emma Hardy highlighted the project as a prime example of how £104 billion in private sector investment—the largest since privatisation—is driving forward major water infrastructure nationwide, including sewage pipes, treatment works, and nine reservoirs.

    This builds on the government’s Plan for Change, which will support the infrastructure Britain needs to boost growth, construct 1.5 million new homes, and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

    “This new expansion and major investment will create jobs, unlock new homes and ensure Bath thrives for generations to come through the government’s Plan for Change.

    “We’ve been clear that we must go further and faster to fix our water infrastructure, which is why £104 billion of private-sector investment is being spent on upgrading the water sector.

    “This funding will develop infrastructure nationwide, unlocking 1.5 million new homes, 150 major projects, and powering industries like gigafactories and data centres.”

    This comes as the Water Minister and Environment Secretary travel to iconic water sites such as Windermere, the River Wye, the Havant Thicket Reservoir and others to set out how a wave of new water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies.

    Significant reforms are already reshaping the water sector, with bold action driving real change. The government has put an end to water companies prioritising unjustified bonuses and shareholder payouts through our Water Act, rather than investing in our crumbling water infrastructure.

    Money earmarked for investment will be ringfenced so it can only be spent on infrastructure upgrades, not paying bonuses or shareholder payouts.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 10 March 2025.

    The government has confirmed further reforms to overhaul the planning system and put growth at the heart of the statutory consultee system.

    • Review of statutory consultee system to promote growth and unblock building
    • Consultation on limiting the scope of statutory consultees and removing a limited number of them, including Sport England, Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust in planning decisions, while ensuring necessary community facilities and needs continue to be met
    • Will also establish a new performance framework with greater ministerial oversight
    • Reforms will reduce delays and uncertainty on planning proposals, demonstrating the government’s Plan for Change in action

    Further reforms to overhaul the planning system have been set out today [Monday 10 March] putting growth at the heart of the statutory consultee system and helping deliver the government’s Plan for Change milestone of delivering 1.5 million new homes.

    Under new plans organisations such as Sport England, Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust will no longer be required to input on planning decisions. The scope of other statutory consultees will be narrowed to focus on heritage, safety and environmental protection, speeding up the building process and preventing delays to homes being built.

    “Statutory consultees” are official stakeholders legally required to provide advice on planning decisions to ensure developments can consider essential environmental, transport, heritage and safety elements. They play an important role in the planning system, but councils and developers report that the system is not working effectively.

    The changes are part of the government’s ongoing stream of work to break down barriers to growth and get Britain building. They come ahead of the government’s flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will be introduced this week and will support the government’s Plan for Change commitment to build 1.5 million homes.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

    “We’ve put growth at the heart of our plans as a government, with our Plan for Change milestone to secure 1.5 million homes and unleash Britain’s potential to build.

    “We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced, and does not create unintended delays – putting a hold on people’s lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need.

    “New developments must still meet our high expectations to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that communities need.”

    The list of statutory consultees has also grown haphazardly over time and now includes over 25 organisations. Problems expressed include statutory consultees:

    • failing to engage proactively;
    • taking too long to provide their advice;
    • re-opening issues that have already been dealt with in local plans;
    • submitting automatic holding objections which are then withdrawn at a late stage; and
    • submitting advice that seeks gold-plated outcomes, going beyond what is necessary to make development acceptable in planning terms.

    Problems with the operation of the system cause uncertainty, extensive delays, and increased costs. This is due to the time taken to provide advice and the complexities sometimes causing the provision of over extensive or unnecessary advice.

    In the past three years over 300 applications were forced to be escalated for consideration by the Secretary of State because of disagreements from consultees.

    In broader examples given to ministers, a government department reported a two-year delay to a simple planning application on the government estate because of inability to agree a position with a statutory consultee.

    In Bradford, a development to create 140 new homes next to a cricket club was significantly delayed because the application was thought to have not adequately considered the speed of cricket balls.

    While noting the broader role that statutory consultees play within the planning system in facilitating high quality development, the government is reforming the system to ensure it operates in a sensible, systematic way, and does not create unnecessary blockers.

    The government recognises the importance of these organisations and their value to local communities. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will continue to apply and these organisations will continue to engage with the planning system through development of local and strategic plans, and through the publication of guidance and advice.

    Proposed changes will put support for growth at the heart of the statutory consultee process by;

    • Consulting on reducing the number of organisations, including the impact of removing Sport England, the Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust.
    • Reviewing the scope of all statutory consultees, to reduce the type and number of applications on which they must be consulted – and making much better use of standing guidance in place of case-by-case responses.
    • Clarifying that local authorities should only be consulting statutory consultees where necessary to do so, and decisions should not be delayed beyond the 21 day statutory deadline unless a decision cannot otherwise be reached or advice may enable an approval rather than a refusal.
    • Instituting a new performance framework, in which the Chief Executives of key statutory consultees report on their performance directly to Treasury and MHCLG Ministers.

    This follows the decision by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor earlier this year pausing the formation of new statutory consultees and a commitment to reviewing the existing arrangements.

    The NPPF is clear that existing open spaces, sports, recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless an assessment has shown the space to be surplus to requirements or it will be replaced by equivalent or better provision.  These strong policy protections will remain firmly in place, with the government expecting them to be taken into account in planning decisions.

    The government will consult this Spring on the impacts of removing a limited number of statutory consultees and narrowing the scope of others so they can focus on the most important applications.

    This comes ahead of the introduction of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill this week, which will bring forward significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding and remove unnecessary blockers and challenges to the delivery of vital developments like roads, railway lines and windfarms.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government ambition to end sewage discharges into Windermere [March 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government ambition to end sewage discharges into Windermere [March 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 March 2025.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today (Monday 10 March) set out government ambition to end sewage discharged into Windermere.

    • The Government has pledged to work with local partners to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake including treatment facilities and storm overflows.
    • Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today meet with local campaigners to pledge his support to cleaning up the iconic site.
    • Visit marks start of Ministers’ week-long tour as part of government’s Plan for Change to upgrade our crumbling water infrastructure and boost economic growth using over £100 billion private investment.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today (Monday 10 March) pledge to ‘clean up Windermere’ setting out the Government’s support for the long-term ambition of ‘only rainwater’ entering England’s largest lake.

    This comes ahead of a thorough feasibility study – established by the ‘Only Rainwater’ local coalition including United Utilities, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Save Windermere, Love Windermere, the Lake District National Park authority, and Westmorland and Furness Council. The study will determine what would be needed to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake, drawing on successful examples and innovation from around the world to create a roadmap for delivery.

    As a first step, government is working on new methods to reduce pollution from private sewage discharges into Windermere. Along with new treatment plants and enhanced maintenance, the government is supporting the delivery of First-Time Sewerage schemes which provide a mechanism for owners of septic tanks and package treatment works to request connection to the mains sewer under certain conditions. This will be vital in consolidating the wastewater infrastructure in the catchment, enabling our long-term objective.

    The Environment Secretary will also reiterate his support for local action and regulation to protect and improve water quality, including 33 additional Environment Agency specialist officers in the region and a quadrupling of water company inspections.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

    Windermere is a stunningly beautiful national treasure – but it’s being choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution.

    As part of our Plan for Change, the Government is committed to cleaning up this iconic lake.

    That is why we are working with a range of local groups and organisations to stop all sewage going into the lake and restore it to its natural beauty.

    The action forms part of this government’s work to transform the water sector and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. This includes the Water (Special Measures) Act that will create a level playing field through stronger regulation alongside securing £104 billion of private sector investment to upgrade our crumbling infrastructure, boost economic growth and create thousands of good, well-paid jobs right across the country.

    Following approval by Ofwat last year, United Utilities are investing £200 million to upgrade 9 wastewater treatment works at Windermere and reduce the spills from all 6 storm overflows discharging into the lake to 10 per year by 2030. Across the country, over £100 billion of private sector money will be invested into the water sector – the largest investment into water in history.  This will help to upgrade and build new water infrastructure in every region of the country with sewage pipes, water treatment works and nine reservoirs, supporting 1.5 million new homes, 150 major infrastructure projects and power new industries such as gigafactories and data centres.

    This vital investment is a good start – but in the face of climate change, we must go further and faster to protect precious natural assets like Windermere, which is why government is backing the ambition to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake.

    Windermere, part of the Lake District National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to more than 14,000 people and its beautiful scenery, rare species and cultural heritage attract a further 7 million visitors per year, generating £750 million for the local economy. The lake faces pollution from a range of sources including rural and urban land use, wastewater from United Utilities and private sewage treatment – issues that are being made worse by climate change.

    The Environment Secretary’s visit to Windermere is the first of seven visits that he and Water Minister Emma Hardy will make on a ‘Things Can Only Get Cleaner’ tour this week, to see where investment in water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies – a cornerstone of the government’s Plan for Change.

    The government also confirmed today that locally led schemes to clean up waterways are set to receive up to £11m, with money based on water company fines and penalties ringfenced to deliver local water projects. Applicants to the Water Restoration Fund, including some in the Lake District, will be notified today. Successful projects will begin this year and focus on improving the water environment in the same regions where the fines and penalties were issued. This could include projects to restore waters to good ecological status; support biodiversity in water-dependent habitats and build resilience to climate change.