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Environment 52
and regular deliveries of ferric sulphate to the small rural site.
By reducing reliance on building and grey infrastructure and removing the chemical dosing activity at Clifton, we will be enabling a 58% carbon efficiency in terms of the entirety of the scheme, with reduced operator intervention and next to no energy input, with the additional benefit of being a biodiversity net gain.
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Our approach instead uses the natural slope present at the treatment works with construction of a series of shallow natural clay cells, approximately the size of three Olympic swimming pools, planted with a diverse range of native water vegetation to mimic the natural processes that occur in wetlands to remove pollutants. These cells use a combination of sedimentation filtration via the action of plants, as well as aerobic and anaerobic breakdown of pollutants by microorganisms and insects, resulting in clean water for discharge to local watercourses.
We worked hard with the Environment Agency throughout the planning stages and because of our collaboration this is one of the first projects to be delivered as part of an operating techniques agreement, which is designed to encourage innovation. The flexibility afforded by the agreement has enabled us to use natural clay in the wetland rather than an artificial pond liner, helping us to be much more integrated with nature and deliver real benefits.
To mitigate carbon and cost from significant material movements offsite, and to enhance local biodiversity, a material management plan has been approved under the CL:AIRE process to keep all excavated material on site, further reducing carbon emissions and potential disruption to local residents.
The wetland has also created opportunities for engagement with the local community. We will be engaging with local schools to get pupils involved with the planting process and asking them to build bug hotels for the new biodiversity section of the works that will be completed once the wetlands is in operation. Not only does this let the next generation play a part in establishing the new ecosystem but also gives them a first-hand opportunity to see the process and the importance of treating sewage.
To enable YW to learn from this project, we have accelerated the delivery of this project three years ahead of schedule and it really is just the start for Yorkshire Water when it comes to integrated wetlands and natural treatment solutions. Seven further sites have been identified where wetlands could be implemented and feasibility investigations are underway with our strategic planning partners Stantec. We hope to use Clifton as a potential template for future naturebased solutions to support our 2030 net zero carbon commitment and change the way in which we consider design and construction within the built environment.
YORKSHIRE WATER
yorkshirewater.com
HABITATS PROTECTED IN NORFOLK THROUGH STRICTER ABSTRACTION LIMITS
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
environment-agency
The Environment Agency has announced changes to water abstraction licences held by 20 businesses in the Ant Valley on the Norfolk Broads.
This means that farmers and local businesses will be required to develop alternative and more sustainable sources of water, rather than take it from rivers, lakes or groundwater.
The Ant Valley – which is home to a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – is facing significant water pressures, with evidence showing that current abstraction levels may be causing damage to the environment.
The Environment Agency has therefore announced it will revoke, reduce or constrain licences used by 20 businesses in order to bring abstraction back to sustainable levels. It is proposed that four new abstraction applications, for activity that was previously exempt from the licencing regime, will also be refused.
The proposed changes will see up to three billion litres water returned to the environment each year, benefiting a wide range of plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and other animals.
These include swallowtail butterflies, Norfolk hawker dragonflies and a number of rare plants such as the Fen Orchid which are rarely found outside of the Ant Valley.
The move is part of a wider abstraction reform programme which has returned 47 billion litres of water a year to the environment since 2008.
Environment Agency Chief Executive James Bevan said: “We need to move beyond stemming the loss of biodiversity and take action to help nature recover. Today’s decision will play an important part in protecting the Ant Valley from the significant water pressures that it is facing.
“If we don’t address these pressures now, the additional challenges from the climate emergency will bring even greater impacts on the environment and our water resources in the future.
“We also know that businesses need time to adjust, which is why we have worked with the affected licence holders and are giving them up to 2024 to make the necessary changes.”
The Environment Agency has been working closely with Natural England, which has provided expert advice to help inform the decision on this issue.
Natural England Chief Executive Marian Spain said: “This decision marks an important step in helping nature recovery of this unique mix of habitats, which are home to over 350 priority species of plants, insects and birds.
“By addressing water abstraction pressures in the Ant Valley we expect to see significant benefits over time to its unique landscape and its flora and fauna.
“We will continue to provide specialist advice to partners to help them adjust as we work together to protect our precious protected sites and all the life they support.”
RSPB Operations Director Jeff Knott said: “The RSPB welcomes the Environment Agency’s proposal to review, reduce and cease water abstraction close to the Ant Broads and Marshes SSSI. This is a welcome step being taken towards responsible and sustainable water management for both farming and the natural environment.
“Once enacted, it will help secure the future of this special place and the many rare species which call the Broads home. We look forward to working with EA and local farmers to ensure a sustainable future for nature and farmers, to help tackle the nature and climate emergency.”
TOOTHLESS POLICY FAILS TO TACKLE BIODIVERSITY LOSS
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has taken aim at the government’s existing biodiversity policy and targets in a new report, branding them ‘inadequate’ to address plummeting biodiversity loss.
The Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust? report argues that a lack of joined up thinking on biodiversity across government coupled with inadequate monitoring and a lack of ecologist expertise in the heart of government and in local authorities are just some of the reasons why halting biodiversity decline will present an ongoing challenge.
Overall the EAC found that biodiversity loss was not being treated with the same urgency and ambition as climate change and that the government has failed to provide an additional measure of economic activity which includes consideration of the UK’s natural capital alongside GDP.
EAC chairman the Rt Hon. Philip Dunne MP said: “The UK is home to many millions of species, but Government inaction to protect habitats is leading to a significant decline in wildlife.
“Although there are countless Government policies and targets to ‘leave the environment in a better state than we found it’, too often they are grandiose statements lacking teeth and devoid of effective delivery mechanisms.
“We have no doubt that the ambition is there, but a poorly-mixed cocktail of ambitious targets, superficial strategies, funding cuts and lack of expertise is making any tangible progress incredibly challenging.
“All Government departments must consistently factor nature into policy decisions, the Bank of England should develop a nature stress-test, and the 25-year Environment Plan must have interim statutory targets to assess progress.”
Despite central Government’s responsibility for policy decisions, the responsibility for nurturing natural habitats also rested with each and every citizen, he added.
Work to embed nature into the national curriculum, and to inspire the ecologists of the future, was crucial if we were to protect biodiversity effectively for generations to come. Dr Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said the report was right to represent this year as a critical turning point. “Decisions in the Environment Bill and the Spending Review will determine whether nature continues to decline, or whether the UK can lead the world along a new path toward environment recovery.
“The Environment Bill must set an unambiguous target to halt nature’s decline by 2030 – a genuine “net zero for nature” – backed by serious and sustained investment in delivery in the Spending Review.”
The Committee was also right to focus on habitats, he continued. The Government’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of the land and sea would only be effective when designated areas had meaningful management. “The promising biodiversity net gain policy must protect new habitat for the long-term, not just for 30 years,” he said.
The report makes several recommendations for how the UK can stem the tide of biodiversity loss.
These include:
The Government starting the process of setting an environmental footprint target by launching a consultation ahead of COP15 on how to model the overseas environmental impact of UK consumption.
Ministers should implement recommendations of the EAC’s Invasive Species without delay, including increasing biosecurity funding directed at countering invasive species to at least £3m a year. Invasive species cost the UK economy £1.8bn a year.
The Government must provide a comprehensive, consistent, and time-bound record of funding for the 25 Year Environment Plan.
The Government should develop nature tests to ensure spending packages are aligned with the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework.
Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley launches Grow Back Greener with Sadiq Khan
THAMES WATER CO-FUNDS £1.2 MILLION LONDON NATURE PROJECT
Thames Water is co-funding an ambitious new £1.2 million project to help more Londoners enjoy the benefits of nature on their doorstep.
The Grow Back Greener fund will provide grants to dozens of projects to improve access to green spaces in some of the capital’s most deprived areas.
Thames Water is providing £500,000 towards the project in partnership with the Greater London Authority, with community gardens, food growing schemes and pocket parks among those set to benefit. Last year more than £700,000 was awarded to 34 projects. Thames Water’s funding this year means the programme can now be expanded to reach significantly more communities, helping achieve Mayor Sadiq Khan’s goal of all Londoners living within a ten-minute walk of a green space.
Launching the fund with Mr Khan in London, Sarah Bentley, Thames Water CEO, said: “I’m excited we’re partnering with the Mayor of
