Defra last week claimed improvements in bathing waters in England and in serious pollution incidents in its annual report on progress made in 2022-23 against the government’s 25-Year Environment Plan.
The two improvements fell under the Clean and Plentiful Water outcome, along with one deterioration – salmon rivers at risk.
The report also summarised actions taken in the year, which for water included publication of the Integrated Plan for Water; the creation of the Water Restoration Fund from diverting fines from the Treasury; and publication of the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan.
The report mainly covered progress against the 2018 25-Year Environment Plan, with the final couple of months covering the refreshed Environmental Improvement Plan published by Defra in January 2023.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) said it would consider the annual report in detail as it prepares its own annual EIP progress report, due for publication early next year. The OEP’s first report on progress, published in January 2023, found that the government was not demonstrably on track to achieve its ambitions.
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