Chair: Ali Morse, The Wildlife Trusts
Vice Chair: Tessa Wardley, The Rivers Trust, and Emily Smith, Angling Trust
Link: Ellie Ward, Senior Policy Officer
Link’s Blueprint for Water Group works on freshwater policy issues and current work prioritises environmental resilience, sustainable abstraction, water quality and agricultural pollution (through joint work with Link’s Agriculture group).
In August 2024, Blueprint wrote to the Prime Minister to call for penalties imposed by Ofwat to be ring fenced for environmental improvement. This follows an announcement that Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water will be fined £168 million due to ongoing illegal discharges of sewage. This money should be ring fenced for nature's recovery. Blueprint for Water also shared views on Ofwat's draft determinations for PR24. The uplift in environmental investment in PR24 is welcome, however, Ofwat and the water industry must take further steps to ensure this delivers the maximum possible benefits for nature. Further action needed includes increasing the use of nature-based solutions, and restoring 'phased' biodiversity-critical schemes to AMP8.
In July 2024, Blueprint wrote to the Secretary of State to set out three immediate opportunities for the Government to take meaningful action to address the state of our waters, and to bring us back on track to achieve the 2027 WFD target. These include adopting the recommendations of the OEP following their review of WFD, introducing a strong Green Duty for Ofwat, and commissioning a comprehensive review of the management and regulation of water. Further detail on WFD, and the action needed from Government, can be found in our new position paper here.
Blueprint continues to engage with PR24, furthering the asks set out in our 2021 'Environmental Manifesto for PR24'.
In June 2024, Blueprint responded to the second Ofwat consultation on the Water Efficiency Fund. Blueprint strongly welcomes the Fund, and Ofwat's leadership in this area. However, we remain concerned that the level of funding will be insufficient to achieve the objectives, and recommend that the Fund must make greater use of expertise from across the water sector and beyond in its development and delivery. This must include environmental expertise.
In May 2024, Blueprint submitted evidence to the EAC follow-up inquiry into 'Water Quality and Water Infrastructure'. Our submission highlights the need for greater investment and regulatory reform, including the introduction of a 'Green Duty' for regulators including Ofwat. This builds on our April 2024 briefings against proposals to extend the Growth Duty to Ofwat, and on the need to reform regulation for the water environment.
In February 2024, Blueprint members contributed to Link's response to the Public Accounts Committee inquiry exploring resilience to extreme weather, in particular around drought and flooding. This draws on our December 2023 briefing on working with nature to build resilience to both flooding and drought, outlining the action needed to unlock barriers and increase uptake of both nature-based solutions and natural flood management.
In January 2024, Blueprint members provided further views to Ofwat on metrics for environmental improvement, and improving the transparency of the price review, following a roundtable discussion with eNGOs. Blueprint also led on Link's responses to a consultation on the Growth Duty Draft Statutory Guidance, and on Strengthening Economic Regulation. We remain concerned that despite the updated guidance, the Growth Duty weighs the balance too heavily towards financial costs and benefits, at the expense of wider social and environmental costs, benefits and needs
You can read Blueprint for Water's vision report here: 'Actions to Recover England's Waters and Wildlife'. This sets out our vision for the freshwater environment and our ‘how to’ strategy for bringing our freshwaters back to health, before it is too late, with recommendations under three key themes - Recover Biodiversity, Drive Down Pollution, and Re-think Our Relationship With Water.
For further information, contact Ellie Ward, Link’s Senior Policy Officer.
Last updated: 28 August 2024
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