05 Feb 2026

Image description: Aerial photo of a water treatment works. Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash   Thames Water is moving closer to a multibillion-pound rescue deal with its lenders according to Sky News, that would ultimately keep the utility out of temporary public ownership. Industry sources have told Sky News that a creditor group holding […]

05 Feb 2026

Image description: A river running through a lush green forest at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wrexham. Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash   The Welsh government has unveiled plans for a fundamental reset of the nation’s water system, including a new standalone regulator to replace Ofwat in Wales, national infrastructure planning and tougher controls on sewage sludge […]

05 Feb 2026

Photo description: Aerial view of two large blank tanks. Photo by Ian on Unsplash.   Ofwat has launched a statutory consultation on updating its Performance related executive pay (PRP) prohibition rule to reflect new upcoming environmental reporting on water only companies (WOCs). Ofwat is proposing to update the rule to ensure that WOCs will be […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Daniel Tonks   The Scottish Parliament has passed the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, establishing Scotland’s first statutory biodiversity targets and committing the nation to becoming ‘nature positive’ by 2030. The legislation, approved by 90 votes to 26 at Stage 3 on 29 January 2026, represents what ministers are calling the strongest statutory framework Scotland has […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Ryan Fleischer   Nine European nations have signed a landmark offshore wind investment pact aimed at mobilising €1 trillion in economic activity and establishing the North Sea as the continent’s largest clean energy hub. The agreement, sealed at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg on 26 January 2026, commits governments, industry and transmission […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Doncoombez   The Crown Estate has published its approach to delivering nature recovery ambitions in the marine environment through a new framework titled “Unlocking a Resilient Blue Future.” The publication sets out guiding nature principles that will inform decisions across the organisation’s marine operations, from seabed planning to infrastructure design and active restoration. The […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Stephanie Harlacher   A dramatic population bloom of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) off the Southwest coast of the UK is having significant effects on fisheries and marine ecosystems, according to a new report led by the Marine Biological Association in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth and an independent consultant. The […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Fotogra   The Marine Management Organisation has secured its second successful prosecution for breaches of Marine Protected Area byelaws, following a guilty plea at North Tyneside Magistrates Court relating to illegal fishing activity inside the Canyons Marine Conservation Zone. On 29 January 2026, Marcos Gonzales-Rivera, a Spanish national and master of the British-registered […]