Labour vows water bosses 'will pay' if they keep on polluting rivers
Environment Secretary Steve Reed's warning as he pledges to save Britain's environment
Water bosses will face criminal charges and firms will be placed in “special measures” if they continue pumping sewage into seas and rivers, the Environment Secretary has vowed.
It’s part of a wide-ranging plan to “reverse the shocking decline of our natural world” which Steve Reed says is placing Britain’s wildlife at risk of extinction.
The Government is to create three National Forests, inspired by the existing 200-square mile forest in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with a million trees planted.
Organisations such as housing associations will be encouraged to buy land to create parks and public gardens in built-up areas, under a Community Right to Buy scheme.
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And the Government also plans to work with farmers to encourage the preservation of wetlands and peat bogs.
Other measures include a drive to clear litter from filthy beaches. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to draw up an action plan which Mr Reed will publish before the end of the year.
The Government will also introduce a Water (Special Measures) Bill giving it more powers to punish chiefs, after sewage spills in England more than doubled in 2023.
Mr Reed said: “We will ban the payment of bonuses, ring-fence investment for vital infrastructure, and make sure water bosses who repeatedly dump illegal sewage face criminal charges.”
Saying Britain’s environment was “at crisis point”, he added: “We are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.
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"Our wildlife is in crisis – nearly half of our bird species and a quarter of our mammal species are at risk of extinction. Our precious national parks and national landscapes are in decline. Our rivers, lakes and seas are awash with toxic sewage and pollution. Air pollution continues to plague our towns and cities, and remains the biggest environmental risk to human health.”
He added: “We stand on a precipice. If we don’t reverse the shocking decline of our natural world, we’ll lose it.”
