Agenda item

Considered – Report of the Corporate Director – Environment to update the committee on progress with actioning the water quality motion that was agreed by Full Council in November 2023.

Hugh Clear Hill, Principal Environmental Policy and Project Officer introduced the item, reporting back on the first meeting of the North Yorkshire River Catchments Forum (NYRCF) that had taken place in late June.

Some of the key points highlighted in the update were as follows:

·       The first meeting of the NYRCF had attracted an excellent turnout, including: board level representation from Yorkshire Water; area directors from the Environment Agency and Natural England; the Chair of the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee; the Area Director of the Association of Drainage Authorities; senior representation from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust; both of the National Park Authorities and a range of river trusts and catchment partnerships from across the county.

·       There was high level support at the forum for establishing a strategic initiative for river catchments and widespread support for the council taking a leading role and recognising our role as a major co-ordinator in this area.

·       A number of senior council officers were also in attendance, from service areas such as water quality, public health, nature recovery, flood management planning and highways services.

·       The focus for the months ahead will be to make sure that the River Catchments Forum adds value, with an agreement to focus on 3 to 4 key areas, of which improving water quality is the most important.

·       More widely, it was recognised that the forum was an opportunity to share good practice and ideas, and it is hoped to convene a Rivers Summit with a wider audience in spring 2025 along with working with key partners to deliver a work programme.

·       Elected member involvement in the NYRCF was addressed, with it felt in the pre-election period the forum event would not have happened if there had been political attendees. Looking ahead, there is a wider question to be dealt with around elected member attendance at future meetings.

·       Extreme weather events are increasing, causing a rise in the amount of surface water run offs, so there is a close relationship between water quality and flood risk. The council can explore this further as the Lead Local Flood Authority and the Local Planning Authority, in order to ensure new developments do not exacerbate existing problems and through S106 agreements to improve the situation, such as through building attenuation tanks to store rainwater for gradual controlled release.

·       On the new Local Plan for North Yorkshire, if national development management policies come to fruition, then water quality and environment protection are set to be key parts of these documents.

·       The authority has been involved for a number of years with a project on the River Leven, working with the Tees Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency. The initial focus was on silt, as it affects the water quality and loss of soil. The most effective initiatives undertaken have been nature-based solutions, such as creating wetlands and working with farmers to change land management.

·       The Local Investment in Natural Capital projects are developing flood alleviation projects to create long-term change.

Following the update, questions and comments raised by committee members were as follows:

·       The progress detailed in the report since the approval of the motion at Full Council in November 2023 was welcomed and commended.

·       It was felt that a further review of the water quality motion should be carried out by the committee again in six months’ time, to avoid the topic drifting.

·       The link to using the new Local Plan for North Yorkshire to try and address water quality issues through the planning process was emphasised.

·       The involvement of the National Farmers’ Union in future Forum meetings and workshops was a learning point from the first meeting and would be addressed for future events.

·       It was felt the discharges from highways run off into watercourses does not get the attention that it deserves, it is a big issue that affects water quality. In North Yorkshire, this is a huge area to get a grip on. For new roads, physical interventions are now usually put in to reduce this, but this is not in place for older carriageways.

·       The attendance of elected members in future meetings was discussed in detail. There was dismay by some members that this had not been allowed at the first meeting, but it was hoped through the committee recommendation this could be resolved after range of suggestions were put forward and considered.

·       There were concerns raised around the timings for the implementation of the strategic plans and policies concerning water quality. A broad outline of the timescales involved as part of a future report to the committee was requested.

·       To be an effective convener and partner, good governance needs to be in place, to ensure reporting, monitoring and accountability arrangements are robust.

·       The increasing use of astroturf in gardens was highlighted as a concern, as it exacerbated the problem of surface water run off. For new development, SuDs need to be installed, monitored and then maintained to ensure they are effective.

·       ‘Beaver bombing’ is an issue. It has led to lots of trials but it will come to a point where culling is under consideration due to damage they cause to flood banks and to crops and forestry.

·       The need for baseline data was seen as crucial, as it opens up a wider discussion on water quality issues to understand the underlying causes.

Resolved –

It is recommended that:

1.     The motion on water quality will be further reviewed by the committee in six months’ time to track progress and areas of improvement.

2.     The Executive Member for Managing Our Environment attend the next meeting of the NYRCF and report back to a future TEEE O&S meeting.

3.     That the overall attendee list of the NYRCF be reviewed ahead of the next meeting, in particular the ability of elected members to attend as observers.

4.     The letter referenced under the point 9 of the agreed motion be resent to the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.