18 Jul 2023

Defra has released six Fisheries Management Plans for consultation alongside a raft of other measures. In its press release Defra said that ‘the UK is introducing a world class system of fisheries management. This draws on the best available science and the expertise of our fishermen to ensure our fish stocks are healthy and sustainable long […]

13 Jul 2023

Those that pollute the environment will face unlimited penalties under new legislation announced by the government. The current limit of £250,000 on variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency and Natural England can impose directly on operators will be lifted, following a government consultation which received widespread public support. This will offer regulators a quicker method of […]

05 Jul 2023

The government has updated its guidance for applying for bathing water designation in England. The guidance on applying to de-designate existing bathing waters has also been updated. The updates mean that the application process is now easier to follow and ensures the criteria for designation are clearly set out. Defra will use the updated guidance to […]

28 Jun 2023

The Government have confirmed that the new Sustainable Farming Incentive will start accepting applications in a controlled rollout from August, which will offer farmers additional actions and more flexibility to choose the actions they want to get paid for. Farmers will be paid for any action they take that supports food production and improves farm […]

14 Jun 2023

The UK government is consulting on the expansion of the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan to cover coastal and estuarine waters. Defra wants to know what you think about these changes, including: expanding the targets in the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan to cover coastal and estuarine waters developing an ecological standard for coastal and […]

13 Jun 2023

The UK government has launched a six-week consultation on expanding its targets to tackle sewage even further to cover all coasts, estuaries and marine protected sites in England. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, published in August 2022, set out stringent targets to protect people and the environment, backed up by £56 billion capital investment – the largest […]

07 Jun 2023

Government has stepped up action to tackle harmful plastics and clean up our waterways by challenging producers of wet wipes to address concerns over how they label their products. Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has written to wet wipes producers setting out her concerns about the number of wet wipes that are flushed down UK toilets […]

18 May 2023

Defra has set out guidance on how developers can use habitat creation or enhancements to count towards their biodiversity net hain (BNG). If you’re creating or enhancing habitat as part of your development, you may be able to count this towards your BNG. You can still do this if the habitat required for your development is […]