The NFU brought together representatives from the major irrigation catchments in the region, together with delegates from some of our abstractor groups in the Broadland rivers, east Suffolk and Breckland rivers including the Thet and Wissey, to discuss the current position on irrigation licences with the Environment Agency.
The Agency’s Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) programme is the ongoing process by which it is reviewing all irrigation licenses to assess whether they are – in isolation or in combination with other licences – causing harm to the environment.
A far fewer number of licences are caught up in this process then the NFU originally feared, but there remain a number of cases where licences could be reduced in volume or even revoked with considerable impact on the farming business.
A fair and equitable licensing regime is crucial to ensure that farmers and growers have access to a secure supply of water, as far as is possible. To read a report of the meeting download the document on the right. For further information contact
paul.hammett@nfu.org.uk
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