Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive

"Whilst any money that goes towards improving our water environment is helpful, this £11 million is just a fraction of the investment needed to restore our rivers, given that no stretch of river in England is currently in good overall health.

“What's more, it is hard to see how this fund will improve the health of our waterways as the Government claims, when it is entirely resourced from water company fines and therefore relies on environmental damage happening in the first place.

“We are disappointed to see yet another Government scheme rolled out without warning and consulting with stakeholders. We need to see a major boost in funding and resources to improve our water environment to go alongside this particular funding stream, enabling a truly integrated approach to land and water management that will deliver for nature and for everyone."

Read the Defra press release here.