01 Jul 2020

The government’s covi-19 recovery strategy includes (largely already committed) money for ‘shovel ready’ projects covering hospitals, schools and transport. But, apart from a recommitment to reforest parts of the country by planting more than 75,000 acres of trees every year by 2025, there is little to please the environmental sector. There is just £40m for […]

01 Jul 2020

Last week we covered the Climate Change Committee’s 2020 report to Parliament. Recently, the Committee also set out its recommendations for a resilient recovery from Covid-19 (published May) and (last week) on the coverage of Environmental Land Management Scheme in letters to the Prime Minister, and Defra, respectively. On the green recovery, the CCC’s recommendations […]

09 Jun 2020

Environment Agency work continues in line with government guidance, including social distancing We are aware communities, businesses and the environment rely on our services. This includes the advice and guidance we offer, our regulatory work which continues to protect the environment, people and wildlife from harm, managing the risks of flooding and coastal erosion, and […]

12 May 2020

Tweet from Water UK, 11 May Earlier today, PM Boris Johnson mistakenly referred to COVID-19 being in the #water supply. It’s not, and No. 10 has now issued a correction. Your tap water remains perfectly safe.  Earlier, Mr Johnson told MPs that people should exercise “good, solid, British common sense” in adapting their lives to […]

12 May 2020

A very strong theme has emerged over last few weeks which is how we can draw lessons from the Covid-19 emergency about climate change in order to plan for our future. There are articles appearing daily from a wide range of sources on what we should be aiming for and the opportunity that the emergency […]

05 May 2020

The government has issued (1 May) new guidance on access to green spaces. Recognising that exercise is still important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing, the government has said people can leave their homes for exercise once a day. Please use the following guidance in order to stay safe: stay local and use open spaces […]

05 May 2020

From a recent Technical Brief from  the WHO (World Health Organisation) “There is no evidence to date that COVID-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems, with or without wastewater treatment. Furthermore, there is no evidence that sewage and wastewater treatment workers contracted SARS, another type of coronavirus that caused a large outbreak of acute respiratory illness […]