Efforts to clamp down on sewage pollution could be jeopardised by cuts to the department responsible for policing water companies, campaigners have warned.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was one of the biggest losers of Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review, with the Chancellor imposing average annual cuts of 2.3 per cent between now and 2030.
Campaigners warned the cuts could reduce capacity at the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England, which are responsible for protecting nature from pollution.
However, they also broadly welcomed the Chancellor’s decision to boost the nature-friendly farming budget, which helps farmers manage reduce the amount of pollution from their land.
The announcement marks a win for The i Paper’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign which called for this funding to be increased as part of a five-point manifesto to protect our waterways.
At the Spending Review on Wednesday The Treasury confirmed that Defra’s budget would be cut by an average of 2.3 per cent over the next four years.
This is largely driven by a decline in day-to-day spending, which covers things like staffing costs, and will reduce by an average of 2.7 per cent annually over the period.
Capital spending, which covers things like flood defences and farming grants, will decrease by 1.8 per cent annually up until 2030.
Responses to the Spending Review were mixed amongst environmental groups, which had been braced for big cuts following months of austerity rhetoric from the chancellor.
Concerns were raised that the budget cuts could impact the capacity of Defra and the regulators it funds, including the EA, which is responsible for policing water companies.
The EA saw its budget cut dramatically under the Conservatives and has been criticised for failing to get a grip on the sewage scandal earlier.
The i Paper’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign has called for the EA’s budget to be boosted, however future funding for the regulator was not outlined as part of the Spending Review.
“When will we hear about funding the regulators to get tough on the polluters?” said James Wallace, CEO of River Action.
“Years of under-funding has whittled away DEFRA’s ability to protect the environment and enforce the law. The Environment Secretary says he is serious about improving water quality, so it is important that Labour gives him the resources he needs to honour the promises made to millions who voted for a government that pledged to clean up our rivers.”
Hilary McGrady, Chief Executive at the National Trust added: “We’re yet to find out how regulatory bodies like Natural England will be better resourced to deliver their responsibilities.
“We continue to hear from farmers, conservation partners and local authorities that staffing levels at these bodies are a major concern, and that this is a barrier to the effective delivery of their role.
“This Government has made a promise to tackle the scourge of our polluted waterways, and it will need well-resourced regulators to do so.”
Defra has already been ordered to make major staff cuts as part of the Chancellor’s efforts to reduce day-to-day spending within departments.
Earlier this year The i Paper revealed at least 200 jobs were to be axed at Natural England this year.
Defra has said it will make savings through “technical efficiences” and reducing spend on contractors.
However Ali Morse, water policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, said it is “hard to believe that simply modernising IT systems…will offset other pressures facing the agencies”.
He said: “We could well see impacts on inspections, on water quality monitoring and on the regulators’ ability to hold polluters to account through the courts. All of this would make achieving the Government’s goal of ‘cleaning up Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas’ much harder.”
Boost for nature-friendly farming
However, environmental groups welcomed the Government’s decision to boost the nature-friendly farming budget, which provides grants to farmers to help them manage their land in a more sustainable manner.
The Chancellor pledged to spend £2bn on these schemes by 2028/29, compared to a budget of £1.8bn this year.
Alongside sewage, agriculture is the largest source of pollution to our rivers.
“This gives us hope that the government recognises the role of farmers in tackling pollution and restoring nature. Farmers want to be part of the solution, but they need clear support and long-term certainty,” Wallace said.
McGrady said the Chancellor had “listened to the calls” of the environment and and farming sectors
“Nature and wildlife aren’t nice-to-haves. They underpin our health, our economy, our communities, and the food, water and air we need to survive,” she said.
Amber Sawyer, analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said evidence suggests the Government needs to spend more on farming to protect nature and food security.
“But in a tough spending review, this outcome appears to be enough to maintain the transition to farming and food production that is more resilient to climate extremes,” she said.
However, Mike Childs, Head of Policy at Friends of the Earth, said a “modest investment in environmental farming” did not make up for the fact “Defra is still underfunded” and “farmers need more money”.
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