Talks ongoing to avoid hike in
irrigation abstraction fee • Changes to water abstraction rules • Fees could be passed on to ratepayers • Landowners could be ‘charged twice’
L
andowners and farmers who abstract water for ir- rigation are being warned that they could face a “double bill” due to exemption removals. Water level management au- thorities across the country are continuing to raise concern at the threat of licence fee hikes that could end up hitting farmers’ pockets following recent changes to water abstraction regulations. Previously and for many
years, Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) have transferred water from main rivers to local drains for the benefit of farmers, who then abstract the water for irri- gation. There are also environ- mental benefits of augmenta- tion of water levels.
New regulations for water transfer licensing, which came into force from 1 January 2018, removes exemption for a number of activities. Among these chang- es is a requirement for transfers of water from main rivers into internal drainage districts to be licensed by the Environment Agency.
Licence costs
The agency has estimated that around 150 licences will be re- quired collectively by IDBs, each costing £1,500, says Innes Thom- son, chief executive of Association of Drainage Authorities, which
represents drainage, water lev- el and flood risk management au- thorities.
“This will add an expense and bureaucratic burden that will in- hibit effective close-working be- tween risk management au- thorities on water resources and environmental management,” ex- plained Mr Thomson. Water transfers in themselves are not abstractions – the water is not lost to the river network un- less it is further abstracted by a landowner. Water abstracted from within an IDB district is licensed by the Environment Agency. This means the new legislation could see landowners effective- ly charged twice for the same water, because IDBs will most likely need to pass ad- ditional fees on to ratepayers.
Habitats
Some 90% of wa- ter transfers are re- quired for facilitating abstraction, and for other envi- ronmental reasons such as flood prevention and the creation of wetlands and other habitats. At the ADA Conference last
autumn, Defra minister Thérèse Coffey confirmed that she wants
Farmers could be hit hard in the pocket by the changes, says Innes Thomson (left), who warns that they face a bureaucratic burden
IDBs to play a central role as the government plans for better lo- cal and national wa-
ter management.
Dr Coffey emphasised that “land drainage activities to pre- vent flooding and IDB abstrac- tions within drainage districts will remain exempt” and she went on to assure delegates that she will be looking at “effective fund-
ing streams to recover costs from those that benefit.”
An initial meeting took place
in late January, involving the En- vironment Agency, Defra, ADA, Natural England and IDB repre- sentatives, to investigate the pro- posal for cost recovery made by the minister. Mr Thomson added: “A num- ber of potential options were iden- tified including enabling prima- ry legislation.”
Farmers work to help vulnerable biodiversity
A project to improve public understanding of the vulnerable biodiversity in the land- scape around the Cambridgeshire Fens has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The New Life on the Old West project
is led by Cambridgeshire ACRE. The Ely Group of Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) is a key delivery partner. Recognised as a stronghold for many rare and endangered species, the area also contains community green spaces and wetland habitats.
Together, these green spaces and habitats contribute to the area’s high biodiversity val- ue, making it a vital ecological corridor which links the internationally significant wetland reserves of the National Trust’s Wicken Fen and the RSPB’s Ouse Fen.
Creating new habitats Working with local farmers and other land managers, the project aims to deliver more efficient and effective ways of managing wa- ter levels within the existing fenland drain-
age network and create new wildlife habitat. The project brings together 30 organi- sations to achieve the project vision of creating resilience for the area’s priority habitats and species, to counter their ongoing decline.
The project will create demonstration sites where the impact on the area’s nat- ural heritage will be monitored and where communities and landowners can showcase that it is possible to be wildlife-friendly with- out compromising land function.
MARCH 2018 • ANGLIA FARMER 29
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