A plan was hatched to save a cherished waterway
Activists who hope to reverse the decline of a treasured British waterway have unveiled their own four-step manifesto in response to a widely criticised action plan announced last month by the UK government.
The River Wye, which flows 155 miles (250km) from Wales, through England, to the Severn estuary, has been devastated by nutrient run-off linked to intensive chicken farming.
The UK government said last month it would fund on-farm poultry manure combusters to the tune of £35m, pilot anaerobic digestion plants and provide more grants for slurry stores to process the mountains of waste and help restore the river to health.
However, grassroots groups say the ideas lack scope and ambition, and this week unveiled their own Manifesto for the Wye at the annual Hay festival.
They want a ‘water protection zone’ to protect the Wye from farm waste and sewage, a recovery fund to back nature-positive agriculture, and better enforcement to ensure polluters pay. Fairer supermarket pricing which rewards river-friendly farmers is also in the plan.
David Gillam, from campaign group Save The Wye, said: “We know what needs to be done and our manifesto represents the people’s plan for the Wye, created in response to all the evidence we’ve gathered over the last few years.”
Image: Manifesto for the Wye
