£11.5 million in additional funding has been announced to enhance tree planting, habitat restoration, and flood management across England through the Water
Environment Improvement Fund.
Millions of pounds in extra funding to enhance tree planting, habitat restoration, and flood management Expanded fund to assist in planting thousands of trees and enhancing river quality nationwide 180 projects poised to benefit, including in York, Lincolnshire, and North Devon Local initiatives throughout England will receive support to clean up lakes and rivers, shield communities from flooding, and plant thousands of trees, thanks to a £11.5 million government backing.
This funding, which includes contributions from the Nature for Climate Fund, will also unlock up to an additional £11.5 million from entities such as the National Lottery, local river and wildlife trusts, or private investments, bringing the potential total investment to £23 million.
This boost will be allocated to local catchment partnerships through the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF), supporting 180 local projects across England. Projects slated for funding this year include:
The Limestone Becks River Restoration project in Lincolnshire, aiming to provide enhanced habitats for wildlife from water voles to invertebrates; Phase II of The York Urban Becks project, which seeks to establish a more natural river course and support local habitats; and The Woods for Devon project, creating woodlands to improve water quality, support wildlife, and carbon capture. Overall, the additional funding is projected to result in an additional 300km of English rivers being safeguarded and improved. It will also aid in the creation and restoration of around 160 hectares of inland and coastal waters.
Catchment partnerships adopt a collaborative approach to enhancing river quality and biodiversity at a catchment level, leveraging local knowledge and expertise.
They bring together government, local authorities, landowners, local environmental NGOs, regulators, farmers, academia, local businesses, and water companies.
Administered by the Environment Agency, the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) was established in 2016 and funds projects that deliver on the government commitments outlined in the Plan for Water to ensure clean and abundant water for the future.
This builds on the steps we are taking to improve water quality and protect the environment, including expanding our specialized workforce and increasing water company inspections this year, along with our powers to levy uncapped penalties on those who pollute our waterways.
In recent years, the Fund has supported numerous projects across the country. In 2021-22, £888,000 was allocated to the Developing the Natural Aire project in Yorkshire to install fish passes. This led to the reconnection of 50km of habitat, planting of 8,410 trees, and the execution of 220 volunteer days and 123 community events.
The £11.5 million funding boost is in addition to the existing £3 million already allocated to the Environment Agency for this financial year for local projects to improve water quality.
Today's announcement follows recent measures taken to improve the water environment, including:
A new £11 million Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment. Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England - providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen. Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.
Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp ageing assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year. Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritizing bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest, and shellfish waters.
A targeted plan to better preserve and protect the River Wye, including £35 million in funding. Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.