Update from Garreth Dunstall, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Link to gov.uk press release: UK and Welsh Government unite in £1m fund to transform River Wye

Garreth Dunstall (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ‘Defra’) provided an update on the UK and Welsh Government joint research initiative to tackle water quality issues in the River Wye, the principal points included:

i.             The new initiative had been announced in March 2025; link to the press release 'UK and Welsh Government unite in £1m fund to transform River Wye'.

ii.            Work would be undertaken with local stakeholders to gather evidence of pollution pressures and to test solutions to inform wider interventions.

iii.          Current focus was on project planning, including research scope and governance structures, to ensure that different tasks and activities were mapped out over time.

iv.          There was an intention to prioritise actions which focus on farm level interventions and to give effect to a ‘living labs’ approach. 

v.           Research decisions would need to demonstrate value and correspond with wider government priorities, including cleaning up waters, boosting food security, and supporting the circular economy.

vi.          Four themes were identified to start discussions with stakeholders (with examples of potential research questions given), the themes being: the impact of existing activities and other technologies; farmer behaviours; barriers and facilitators; and overall strategy.

The Chairperson welcomed the collaborative approach and, with attention drawn to the planned structure identified in the discussion document circulated in Supplement 2, suggested that a blending of Working Group and Steering Group participants (i.e. officials / statutory officers and local stakeholders) would avoid potential tensions between layers.

Board members asked questions and made comments; the main points included:

1.           The research would cover both England and Wales.

2.           The need to understand the impact of legacy phosphorus (P) entering the watercourse, including seasonal variations.

3.           References in the discussion document to ‘ecological carrying capacity of the rivers’ and ‘societal resistance’ were explained.

4.           The data / evidence gaps analysis should be mindful of the range of relevant plans, such as the Catchment Management Plan, Nutrient Management Plan, and the Carbon Management Plan.

5.           Garreth Dunstall confirmed that the research would be funded over a number of years, so that the issues and interventions could be explored fully, involving prioritisation and planned milestones.

6.           Defra would need to co-ordinate with the statutory agencies to ensure that the research was not used as a reason to hold anything up in terms of the Diffuse Water Pollution Plan (DWPP) and related actions.

7.           Martine Quine explained that the Environment Agency was producing the DWPP which would update the English evidence in terms of water quality and would look at what measures or mechanisms were appropriate in order to reduce nutrients; the Wye Catchment Partnership was looking at wider river health.  As the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within England was passing its nutrient target, albeit narrowly in places, there was focus on the River Lugg as a significant tributary.  It was commented that, notwithstanding the significant work being undertaken in the catchment, there was likely to be a nutrient gap; it was noted that gaps  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27