The Rivers Trust responds to the announcement on new Regional Water Councils

The Rivers Trust has welcomed the announcement from the Westminster Government this week that new Regional Water Councils are being put in place to help manage England’s water system better – calling for local Catchment Partnerships to play a leading role in these. 
 
It follows years of campaigning from The Rivers Trust and builds on the work developing the Catchment Based Approach – which has been central to the charity’s mission over the past decade to care for the nation’s rivers. 
 
The government announcement on 5 November recognised that the current set up is not working – with regulators focused on the national picture, not on local communities – citing Lake Windermere as an example of where the system has failed. They acknowledge that water challenges differ from place to place, so are introducing Regional Water Councils. 

Each new council will bring together up to 15 people from across the region including mayors or local authority leaders, farmers, developers and customers. These priorities will feed directly into the next round of water industry planning and the ten-year flood investment programme. Local leaders have been asked to submit proposals on how they want to run these bodies by the end of the year. Each council will then draw up a localised plan. 

Mark Lloyd, CEO of The Rivers Trust, said: "The Rivers Trust has been highlighting the missing middle between the local and national levels in water governance for a long time, so today's announcement of Regional Water Councils is a welcome step in the right direction to rise to the multi-faceted strategic challenge of pollution, drought, flooding and biodiversity loss that could have huge economic costs for society if we do not build resilience in our rivers and landscapes. 

"Truly integrated regional planning, involving local communities and a wide range of sectors in managing the whole water systems, could be transformative in delivering rivers fit for the future.  We need to see infrastructure and utility companies sitting round the table with farmers, water companies, local authorities and representatives of the Catchment Partnerships making strategic plans for each region and having the ability to direct billions of pounds of expenditure towards building resilience in every river basin.   

“It is vital for the success of a systems approach that the new Regional Water Councils take a multi-sectoral approach, and don’t focus only on water companies.  Water is essential for everyone, and every sector has a role to play in its management. 

"The Councils must be underpinned by well-resourced Catchment Partnerships to generate greater weight of evidence for decision-making and identify the local pressures and opportunities to make delivery far more cost-effective and locally-appropriate.   
 
“Catchment Partnerships have more than ten years’ experience in using local data and evidence to inform delivery for communities and the environment.  With sufficient funding, they could play a fundamental role in delivering the step change for rivers and communities that is so urgently needed."