Lewes District Council has passed a motion that marks the first step towards creating a Rights of River Ouse Charter with partner organisations to secure the river’s health and its right to be pollution-free.

Councillor Matthew Bird, Cabinet Member for Sustainability, proposed the Rights of River motion at the February 20 Full Council and it was seconded by Councillor Sean Macleod.

Councillor Bird said: “I’m delighted that Lewes is the first council in England, I believe, to pass a motion of this kind that is about valuing the river in its own right and rethinks our relationship with it. Our waterways face constant harm from pollution, road runoff, development and climate change and the health and wellbeing of the River Ouse is severely under threat.

“This motion is the first step towards a Rights of River Ouse Charter through which the health and wellbeing of the river is represented and voiced by local communities throughout the Ouse Valley catchment.”

The motion was supported by various organisations including the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Environmental Law Foundation. Rights of Rivers was introduced as a concept at the Love Our Ouse River Festival in September last year where people from across Lewes district proposed a draft charter for the River Ouse.

Universal Declaration of River Rights

A charter on the river’s rights is now being developed, which will be sent to the council to endorse within the next two years. This is likely to be based on the Universal Declaration of River Rights, which says rivers should have the right to flow, perform essential functions within the river’s ecosystem, be free from pollution, feed and be fed by sustainable aquifers and have native biodiversity, as well as the right to regeneration and restoration.

Councillor Bird told the Guardian he had become increasingly frustrated with the framing of discourse around water pollution. “The water companies are not taking their responsibilities seriously; there’s a policy vacuum at government level, and the Environment Agency, who are the river’s legal protectors, are not protecting it. At the same time, local communities feel powerless and vent frustrations in protest or take part in sporadic orchestrated meetings with Southern Water with no action followed up.”

The council had already passed two earlier motions highlighting clear evidence that water quality had deteriorated due to sewage pollution and recognising its obligation to protect local rivers. Bird said this was a response to growing public concerns for the health and wellbeing of water bodies and a determination to hold companies to account.

Attempts to give part of the River Frome in Somerset legal rights failed in 2020, prompting Bird to seek a new approach. After a mapping exercise held during a popular river festival, and with support from the Environmental Law Foundation and other experts, he drafted a motion he hoped would bring the whole community and a neighbouring local authority on board.

The full story in the Guardian can be read here and the press release from Lewes District Council is here.