Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer has welcomed the Environment Secretary Steve Barclay’s announcement that up to £11 million in water company fines and penalties will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund (WRF).
Johnny Mercer said:
“There has been a lot of noise over discharges of raw sewage into our rivers and sea. It is a subject which particularly resonates with residents in Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City.
“Last December, I outlined in the media the Government’s record £60bn capital investment to tackle storm overflows and have been monitoring progress closely. I welcome Steve Barclay’s latest announcement that an additional £2.15m in water company fines and penalties from South West Water will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund in our region. There is much more work to do in this space, but we can at last see that real progress is being made. I encourage anyone that has concerns to get in touch.”
All water company environmental fines and penalties since April 2022 have been ring fenced to directly improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund will offer grant funding on a competitive basis to support local groups, farmers and landowners and community-led schemes, bolstering their capacity and capabilities for on-the-ground projects to improve the water environment.
This could include activities that improve biodiversity and community access to blue and green spaces in areas where water companies have been issued with fines or penalties.
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Announced under the government’s Plan for Water, the Water Restoration Fund money comes exclusively from water company fines and penalties. These penalties and fines are additional to any reparations that water companies make when they have breached environmental regulations.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“I know how important our precious waterways are to local communities and to nature, which is why we’re taking tough action to ensure our regulators are well- equipped to hold those who pollute them to account.
“Through the Water Restoration Fund, I will be making sure that money from fines and penalties – taken from water company profits only – is channelled directly back into our waterways. Community-led projects are vital to improving and maintaining water quality across the country, and this fund will help build on that success.”
Water Minister Robbie Moore said:
“We all know the benefits that our waterways bring to local communities across England, which is why this government is committed to protecting and preserving them for generations to come.
“Through the launch of the Water Restoration Fund we are listening and responding to public demand for action.We have been clear that change is needed to drastically reduce sewage pollution, and we expect water companies to meet us swiftly in this ambition. Those who fail to do so face strict enforcement action.”
