The NFU has issued an open letter to its members urging them to check if they still remain under a NVZ designation after Defra issued a revised map showing a nine per cent reduction in the area of farmland affected.
The NFU has lobbied hard for a review of the NVZ areas and the new map takes into account the decisions of the NVZ Independent Panel on the 760 appeals farmers have made.
NFU Vice President Gwyn Jones said: “This is undoubtedly good news for thousands of farmers who will benefit from these changes and for the NFU as it lobbied for an independent review of NVZs. Even those farmers that haven’t appealed personally may have land removed from the NVZs as a result of appeals by other farmers. It is important everyone checks their designation for potential changes.
“For those who are released from the cost and complexity of the recently revised NVZ Action Programme this will be a tremendous relief. For those of us who remain within NVZs we must hope and work to ensure that this represents a turning point in the insidious creep of NVZ designations across the country. Too many farmers remain within NVZs and much work remains to be done to minimise designations. The NFU will keep up its efforts on farmers’ behalf.”
The changes relate to 18 catchments in England only, listed on Defra’s website, some are substantial and affect hundreds of farms.
The NFU is part of the industry-led Tried and Tested nutrient management plan to help farmers manage nutrients and manures.
In addition to these catchments, there have also been at least 150 other relatively small reductions in designated areas. Regions affected are:
North West:
Counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester
Catchments: East Kent (Meathop Marsh Drain), River Bollin, River Leith, River Mersey (between the weir at the Manchester Ship Canal and the confluence with the River Goyt), Skirwith Groundwater (surface water designation unaffected).
North East:
Counties: West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and East Riding
Catchments: Yorkshire Derwent (River Dove and some other headwaters only), River Wear (except the Valley Burn tributary).
West Midlands:
Counties: Herefordshire, Shropshire
Catchments: River Kemp, River Severn (from the Welsh border to Shrewsbury, ground water designations remain).
East Midlands:
Counties: North Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire
Catchments: Derbyshire Derwent, Lawyers Creek Drain, South Holland Drain,
East Anglia:
Counties: Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk
Catchments: River Crouch.
South West:
Counties: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire
Catchments: River Deer, River Mells, River Tone.
South East:
Counties: Hampshire Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, Kent
Catchments: River Meon (except Whitewool Stream) ground water designations are unaffected), River Thames (Henley-on-Thames to Maidenhead the ground water designations is unaffected).
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