Published1 hour ago
The government’s efforts to clean up England’s rivers, lakes and seas have been criticised by a key environmental watchdog as “poor”.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), a statutory body, said targets to improve water health were going to be missed by a “large margin”.
It said government plans lack detail, commitment and adequate funding.
A government spokesperson said this government had done “more than any other” to restore waterways.
The OEP was established after Brexit to hold the government and other public bodies to account on environmental issues, given that EU oversight no longer applied.
In this latest report, the OEP looked at whether the laws protecting England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters from pollution were up to the job, and how they’re being enforced.
“We found the legal framework to be basically sound. But the way that it’s being interpreted and implemented is really being done poorly,” Dame Glenys Stacey, the chair of the OEP, told BBC News.
“That means that government is very unlikely to achieve its ambitions for our waters. In fact, it’s very likely to miss by a large margin,” she said.
At the moment, just 16% of England’s waterways are rated as having Good Ecological Status. The government stated target is for that to rise to 77% by 2027. But the OEP says reaching 21% is seen as more likely.
“Unless things change, it’s a very poor situation,” Dame Glenys said.
The OEP
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