This is the radical idea to speed up saving Herefordshire's dying river Wye
The chief executive of Herefordshire Council has outlined his thoughts in a letter to Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey
Last updated 12th Jul 2023
The government needs to set up a cross border task force to clean up the polluted river Wye, according to Herefordshire’s Council’s chief executive.
Paul Walker has sent a letter to Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey outlining what he wants to happen next.
For years, campaigners have been highlighting the plight of the Wye – saying pollution from farming, mainly intensive poultry units, has been “killing” the Wye.
Phosphates, a nutrient, can cause algal bloom, making the river look like “green pea soup” and harming wildlife.
Now, Mr Walker said a task force should be set up.
This, he said, would put an end to the disagreements between different agencies which is stopping progress of reducing pollution.
“The lack of agreement is impeding progress with the constant need to revisit options already disregarded,” he said in the letter.
“The public simply do not accept why this should be the case, or the limits to the work each agency can deliver from within their remit and I don’t think you would accept that that should be a barrier to progress too and neither do I.
“Therefore, a well led, transparent process, to reach a jointly agreed set of measures backed with a resourced delivery timetable that command public acceptance is essential.”
With the river Wye starting in Wales, then passing over the border into Herefordshire and then into Monmouthshire, it means several different councils and agencies must work together to sort out the issues.
He said an “overarching cross border task force could be the instrument to deliver the necessary direction, clarity and purpose to reach the goals required”.
“Ensuring that the necessary further steps and measures are effectively in place to prevent any further deterioration of the protected site and that all the agencies, councils and local delivery partners are playing their part in fully discharging their responsibilities,” he said.
Outlining 14 areas such a group could potentially explore, he said the government wanted “radical ideas” so he said “the radical solution would be to create a task force to oversee a process to get to an agreed solution”.
The phosphate problems are widespread in Herefordshire, with concern also over the river Lugg – a tributary to the Wye.
For more than three years, a ban on housebuilding has been in place across the Lugg catchment – most of North Herefordshire – because of concern over any extra phosphate being generated.
As the Environment Secretary visited Herefordshire in May for roundtable talks, the Wye's status was downgraded by Natural England due to declining population of certain wildlife.
That includes salmon, crayfish and aquatic plants.