The government has published a list of sensitive catchment areas designated as catchment permitting areas under the Water Industry Act 1991. The Secretary of State has designated the following catchments as catchment permitting areas for the purposes of Chapter I, Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991: River Avon Solent Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast […]
38% of older people (65+) living on a low household income (under £15k per year) in England and 29% in Wales are either finding it a constant struggle – or a struggle from time to time – to keep up with their water bills, according to new research by Independent Age1. Independent Age has teamed […]
The government is consulting on plans to double compensation payments for customers when their basic water services are disrupted. Subject to an eight-week consultation, the proposals will double payments for all existing standards and will more than double the payments for certain highly disruptive incidents, such as when water companies fail to provide notice of supply […]
A Conservative minister repeatedly tried to stop England’s environment regulator from publishing data showing a sharp rise in recorded sewage spills into waterways, according to emails obtained by Unearthed. The Environment Agency (EA) is obliged by law to publish annual statistics on how often overflow pipes released sewage into rivers and seas, and how long the […]
Last week’s King’s Speech included 35 bills and draft bills, setting out the new government’s plans for this parliament and recognising “the urgency of the global climate challenge and the new job opportunities that can come from leading the development of the technologies of the future”. The government will establish Great British Energy, a new […]
The independent, statutory body which advises the UK and devolved governments on emissions has warned that the UK is significantly off track on its target to achieve Net Zero by 2030. In its 2024 Progress Report to Parliament, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) says that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve […]
A coalition of NGOs has called on the new UK Government to expand the title and function of the role of UK Special Representative for Climate Change to Special Representative for Climate Change and Biodiversity. The coalition, led by the Environmental Justice Foundation, have written to the Prime Minister with the following asks: […]
New Environment Secretary Steve Reed has announced a series of initial steps towards ending the crisis in the water sector. He has today announced: He has written to Ofwat to ask them to make sure funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. He […]