Pollution fines of more than £100m will go to environmental projects, Defra says

The Environment Department (Defra) said more than £100 million in fines and penalties levied on water firms for breaches such as illegal sewage spills since October 2023 – as well as future fines – will be reinvested in projects to clean up England's waters.
These could include local programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.
The announcement comes as the Government attempts to grapple with the problems engulfing the water sector in the face of high public anger over the degraded and polluted state of rivers, lakes and coasts, rising bills, bosses' bonuses and shareholder payouts.
The promise to reinvest money from fines into work to improve the environment was first made by the Conservative government in 2022, with local groups, farmers, communities and landowners invited last year to bid for an £11 million ringfenced pot of penalties levied since April 2022.
There were reports that, after the election, the Treasury was seeking to divert the money elsewhere, but Defra has confirmed a huge pot of cash for environmental projects as part of its efforts to sort out the water sector's pollution problems.
The Government has also pointed to the 'record' 81 criminal investigations that have been launched into water companies since it came to power and prison time for bosses who cover up illegal sewage spills and an independent review launched into the sector.
And troubled utility Thames Water was handed a record fine of £123 million in May, including £104.5 million for breaking rules over sewage treatment which contributes to the pot that will be spent on environmental projects.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: 'We inherited a broken water system with record levels of sewage being pumped into waters.
'But the era of profiting from failure is over,' he said.
'This Government will invest money collected through fines into local projects to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.'
Environmental charity River Action's chief executive James Wallace said: 'Ringfencing water company fines for river restoration is a welcome move – but it's hardly new.
'The previous government pledged this in 2022, only for the new Chancellor to backtrack, prioritising growth over nature.
'If this Government is serious about making polluters pay, it must give the Department for Environment all the funding and powers it needs to enforce the law.'
He called for Thames Water to be put into a Special Administration Regime, and raised concerns whether, with a 3% cut in Defra's core budget in last week's spending review, the Environment Agency would be in a position to keep tabs on pollution and enforce the law.
'Regulators need boots on the ground, legal resources and access to courts, backed by consistent funding and most importantly, political will,' he urged.
The Government has also announced new 'sustainable drainage systems' standards to give developers clearer guidance on creating systems to collect and filter rainwater that mimic nature, like green roofs, permeable surfaces and areas to allow water to soak away without causing flooding.
These measures can help relieve pressure on the sewage system and prevent pollution overflowing into waterways, officials said.
Water minister Emma Hardy said: 'The Government will introduce new standards to tackle water pollution, protect communities from flooding and make our new towns beautiful.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Reuters

13 minutes ago

• Reuters

France tightens grip on Eutelsat through 1.35 bln-euro shares sale

PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - The French state will become Eutelsat's ( opens new tab top shareholder following a 1.35 billion-euro ($1.55 billion) capital increase aimed at helping the satellite company better compete with Elon Musk's Starlink, the finance ministry said on Thursday. The capital injection will deliver a shot in the arm to debt-laden Eutelsat, which has garnered unprecedented attention this year from European governments looking for alternatives to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink. France's state shareholding agency will inject 717 million euros, or more than half of the sum, into the company, the ministry said. The agency will also acquire the stake held by France's state-owned investment bank Bpifrance in Eutelsat as part of the company, a government official said, bringing France's total stake to 29.99%. "The French government is proud to support Eutelsat. By participating in its capital increase, we are supporting a decisive stage in its development. Satellite connectivity is a strategic issue for our industrial and digital sovereignty," Finance Minister Eric Lombard said. ($1 = 0.8721 euros)

The National

18 minutes ago

• The National

Yes Cymru deliver Crown Estate campaign letter to Downing Street

All 22 local authorities in Wales, the Senedd, and an overwhelming 75% of the Welsh public have supported the campaign on, with the final council voting unanimously to support the proposal last week. In the letter, YesCymru set out the case for the transfer, stating that "Westminster's failure to act is strengthening the case for independence" and driving public support. Thee group highlighted the significant rise in backing for an independent Wales, from around 5% before the 2014 Scottish referendum to 41% in the most recent poll, conducted in April. READ MORE: Robin McAlpine: Why support for independence is surging in Wales Campaigners are calling for the management of Crown Estate assets in Wales to be devolved to the Welsh Government, and for the profits from these sites to stay in Wales also, instead of going to the UK Treasury. Crown Estate Scotland manages seabed, coastline, rural estates and other assets, delivering the profits to the Scottish Government for public spending. The Crown Estate in Wales, valued at over £850 million, generates significant revenue from Welsh land and seabeds. Several peers argued in October that it is only fair to devolve the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government, given Scottish assets were devolved to Scotland in 2016. Director of YesCymru, Rob Hughes, said: "Wales has been overlooked and undervalued for far too long. All we're asking for is fairness, and when that's denied, more and more people see independence as the only way forward." The letter outlines that YesCymru is willing to engage constructively with the UK Government, not only on transferring the Crown Estate but also on preparing the way for a referendum on Welsh independence. Hughes concluded: "This united support across Wales shows that YesCymru can bring people together behind a clear demand, and that real change is possible when voices across the country speak as one."

Daily Mirror

23 minutes ago

• Daily Mirror

Two-child benefit cap attacked by Labour minister in hint it could be scrapped

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, co-chair of the Government's Child Poverty Task Force, said the two-child benefit limit would not have been brought in under Labour and said it is 'clear' it is having an impact A Labour frontbencher has attacked the impact of the two-child benefit limit - in the strongest hint yet it could be ripped up. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it "was not something that a Labour government would have introduced" before saying it was "clear" it had an impact on child poverty. Ms Phillipson, who co-chairs the Government's Child Poverty Task Force, said she is looking at "every way in which can lift more children out of poverty". ‌ Ministers face growing calls to tear up the controversial policy, which restricts Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit to the first two children in a household. Ms Phillipson said: "The two child limit was not something that a Labour government would have introduced. ‌ "It was a measure introduced by the Conservative Party. It's clear it's had a significant impact.." The Education Secretary said she and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, her fellow co-chair, are looking at how social security measures can bring rates down. She said: "As part of the work that I'm doing together with the Work and Pensions Secretary, we're looking at every way in which we can lift more children out of poverty. "So all areas are under consideration, including social security measures." Think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated that half a million children could be lifted out of poverty if the two-child limit was scrapped. The policy, drawn up by Tory austerity Chancellor George Osborne, came into effect in 2017. Ms Phillipson said: "Child poverty is a scar on this country it devastates childrens' life chances but it damages all of us and we're all poorer as a result of so many children growing up in poverty." ‌ The Government's strategy was expected to be presented in the spring, but is now not set to be released until later this year. "We'll publish the child poverty strategy later this year. We want to make sure it's thorough and comprehensive and addresses all of the challenges we face, but also demonstrates clear Government action to bring down child poverty. "Of course, we're not waiting around for the child poverty strategy. I was delighted to be able to announce the expansion of free school meals eligibility to all families on Universal Credit, and that will lift at least 200,000 children out of poverty. ‌ "It will benefit more than half a million children, and it puts money directly back in the parents pockets. So that is I'm delighted we were able to deliver that, because I know it will make a really big difference to parents, to children, but also to schools as well, because what they tell me is that the damage that poverty causes affects children's ability to learn. "So that is the difference that a Labour Government is able to make within the first year." Ms Phillipson also pointed to free breakfast clubs being rolled out across the country, as well as school-based nurseries providing more childcare places, and a cut in the cost of school uniforms. "These are all practical measures that will help parents, but also will deliver better outcomes for children," she said. But the Government faces criticism after its own data suggested 50,000 children could be pushed into relative poverty by 2030 as a result of welfare cuts. " What the data doesn't take into account is the extra support that we're putting in place around supporting people back into work," she said. "It also doesn't account for the changes that we've made around free school meals. "So as a government, we are committed to bringing down the number of children growing up in poverty."