Government pledges £35m to clean up River Wye

Campaigners have been urging the government to do more to protect the river

The government has pledged £35m to help clean up the River Wye.

The cash comes after years of campaigning and legal action taken by conservation groups, who say the pollution from agriculture is "killing the river".

Money will be given to farmers to encourage them to stop soil getting into the water, and to take the waste from chicken farms out of the river catchment.

The former Conservative MEP Anthea McIntyre, who lives in the Wye Valley, has been appointed as a new River Champion.

Scientists say pollution in the water is causing excess algae

The Wye is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is home to protected species such as otters, kingfishers, white-clawed crayfish and the Atlantic Salmon.

The status of the river was last year downgraded to "unfavourable – declining" by Natural England.

Intensive farming and sewage pollution have caused algal blooms which deprive wildlife of oxygen, say campaigners.

Groups such as Friends of the River Wye have been urging both the English and Welsh governments to take action.

The charity River Action has taken the Environment Agency to court, accusing it of not stopping chicken manure from polluting the River Wye.

A separate legal case has also been launched against Avara, one of the UK's biggest food producers.

MP Jesse Norman said the efforts of volunteer groups had been recognised

The latest plan was announced on Friday by Jesse Norman, the Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire.

"This is a potential turning point for the river," he said.

"The challenge is now for us all, including farmers, Welsh Water, Herefordshire Council, wildlife and environmental groups... to respond quickly and decisively to make it happen."

The government funding will be used to help farmers plant "buffer strips" between streams or rivers and agricultural land.

This aims to stop soil running into the water and help to encourage more wildlife.

Research led by Lancaster University showed that 70% of the excess phosphate in the Wye comes from agricultural waste.

An estimated 23 million chickens are produced in the river catchment every year.

The government's draft proposal includes changes to planning regulations for poultry farms and grants for farmers to build incinerators to process poultry waste.

River Action campaigners say they welcomed the news, but said it did not go far enough

Campaigners, however, said the government plans did not address the issue of factory farming.

Charles Watson, Chair of the charity River Action, said they welcomed the government's plan "in part".

"I fear we've been here before. There is a thundering silence on critically important actions such as banning new intensive livestock production units," he said.

Tom Tibbits, Chair of Friends of the River Wye, welcomed the funding for buffer strips but said moving chicken muck elsewhere was not an environmental solution.

"I have to say I'm frankly disgusted that my tax receipts could be put to such short sighted and one-sided actions to allegedly reduce river pollution."