Activists unveil River Wye pollution plan

The River Wye stretches for about 130 miles (209.2km) between England and Wales

A plan to tackle pollution in the River Wye by environmental groups who have criticised the UK government's "vague" proposals to deal with the problem.

The river, which flows from central Wales to the Severn Estuary, was downgraded by Natural England to "unfavourable" for wildlife in 2023.

Save The Wye, Friends of the River Wye, CPRE Herefordshire and Wye Salmon argued the government's proposals, published last month, fell "far short" of what was needed.

A government spokesperson said its plans set out "clear actions" which would "dramatically reduce the amount of nutrients entering the river by helping farmers transition to more sustainable practices".

In recent years, the Wye has lost much of its water crowfoot, a plant that used to provide a habitat and food for wild species.

It has also seen an increase in algal blooms - photosynthetic organisms that produce toxic effects on wildlife and human health when they grow out of control.

The environmental groups, who are backed by Herefordshire and Radnorshire wildlife trusts, unveiled their manifesto at the Hay Festival on Thursday.

They argued the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) plan lacked scope and ambition, and was written with little consultation with local groups or experts.

They also said it applied primarily to England, not Wales and included a list of actions already being taken, such as payments for river buffers that apply under the new Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Activists are campaigning for more to be done to restore the health of the River Wye

The manifesto calls on the UK and Welsh governments to establish a single, cross-border approach to tackling the pollution crisis.

Other recommendations included enforcement action against polluters and financial support to transition to river-friendly farming.

The groups also reiterated calls for the establishment of a water protection zone giving regulators the power to monitor and control potentially polluting substances.

Charles Watson, from River Action, urged Defra to study the manifesto and "get back to the drawing board".

A UK government spokesperson said it was taking action to restore and protect the river and had appointed a river champion to "spearhead action on the ground".

"We are also providing up to £35 million in grant funding to improve the management of poultry manure," the spokesperson added.

A Welsh government spokesperson said improving water quality on the Wye was a priority for ministers.