Latest news with #IlkleyCleanRiverGroup
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
River Wharfe drought permit should be last resort
Campaigners have urged the Environment Agency to delay granting a water company permission to draw extra supplies from the River Water has applied for a drought order allowing it to extract additional water from river at Lobwood, near Ilkley, and to reduce the amount it releases into the river from Grimwith firm said the application was an "essential step" to protect water supplies and the environment after "an extremely dry year".However, Prof Beck Malby, from the Ilkley Clean River Group, said the Wharfe was already struggling in the conditions and urged Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency to explore other alternative steps. "I've never seen the river so low and I've lived her 30 years," she said."You can walk across at this point [where I'm standing] and normally this is incredibly deep."So there is really very little water left for wildlife, for the natural habitats to survive here." Prof Malby said she believed the drought order should only be granted as a last resort and "not until we've done everything else first.""And, everything else first means a massive public campaign to ensure that we can all reduce our water consumption," she said."And Yorkshire Water should be taking the lead with the Environment Agency on that." Environment Agency specialist Tom Padgett said the permit would allow Yorkshire Water to reduce how much water it pumped from the reservoir to "top up" natural flows within the river. He said: "That would allow the reservoir stocks to remain for longer, so protects that level of public supply. "Although we have to ensure, at the Environment Agency, that that doesn't have a knock-on impact on the environment downstream." A decision on the application - and a third to allow the firm to extract additional water from the River Ouse, near York - is expected to be made in the week beginning 25 August, he said. Yorkshire Water customers have been subject to a hosepipe ban since 11 July amid a prolonged spell of warm and dry weather in the week the company said it had not ruled out extending the ban to businesses after water levels at its reservoirs dropped to 42.2% capacity.A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "The drought permit we applied for on the Wharfe is an important part of the next stage of our Drought Plan."If granted, it will allow us to temporarily draw more water from the Wharfe when conditions allow."This will help to reduce the pressure on our reservoir stock in the short-term, as well as enabling them to recharge and refill quicker through the autumn and winter months."It is an essential step to protect water supplies and the environment after an extremely dry year and the declaration of drought in our region, which has been brought about by six consecutive months of below average rainfall."A hosepipe ban was implemented on 11 July across much of Yorkshire after an extended spell of dry water usage subsequently dropped by 10%.Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drought permit should be last resort
Campaigners have urged the Environment Agency to delay granting a water company permission to draw extra supplies from the River Wharfe. Yorkshire Water has applied for a drought order allowing it to extract additional water from river at Lobwood, near Ilkley, and to reduce the amount it releases into the river from Grimwith Reservoir. The firm said the application was an "essential step" to protect water supplies and the environment after "an extremely dry year". However, Prof Beck Malby, from the Ilkley Clean River Group, said the Wharfe was already struggling in the conditions and urged Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency to explore other alternative steps. "I've never seen the river so low and I've lived her 30 years," she said. "You can walk across at this point [where I'm standing] and normally this is incredibly deep. "So there is really very little water left for wildlife, for the natural habitats to survive here." Prof Malby said she believed the drought order should only be granted as a last resort and "not until we've done everything else first." "And, everything else first means a massive public campaign to ensure that we can all reduce our water consumption," she said. "And Yorkshire Water should be taking the lead with the Environment Agency on that." Environment Agency specialist Tom Padgett said the permit would allow Yorkshire Water to reduce how much water it pumped from the reservoir to "top up" natural flows within the river. He said: "That would allow the reservoir stocks to remain for longer, so protects that level of public supply. "Although we have to ensure, at the Environment Agency, that that doesn't have a knock-on impact on the environment downstream." A decision on the application - and a third to allow the firm to extract additional water from the River Ouse, near York - is expected to be made in the week beginning 25 August, he said. Yorkshire Water customers have been subject to a hosepipe ban since 11 July amid a prolonged spell of warm and dry weather in the UK. Last week the company said it had not ruled out extending the ban to businesses after water levels at its reservoirs dropped to 42.2% capacity. A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "The drought permit we applied for on the Wharfe is an important part of the next stage of our Drought Plan. "If granted, it will allow us to temporarily draw more water from the Wharfe when conditions allow. "This will help to reduce the pressure on our reservoir stock in the short-term, as well as enabling them to recharge and refill quicker through the autumn and winter months. "It is an essential step to protect water supplies and the environment after an extremely dry year and the declaration of drought in our region, which has been brought about by six consecutive months of below average rainfall." A hosepipe ban was implemented on 11 July across much of Yorkshire after an extended spell of dry weather. Domestic water usage subsequently dropped by 10%. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. More on this story Drought 'could reach levels not seen since 1995' Water firm applies to bolster supplies from rivers Yorkshire Water Ilkley Clean River Group Environment Agency
ITV News
14-06-2025
- Sport
- ITV News
Royal recognition for scores of people across the region
Dozens of people from across our region are being celebrated for their dedication and achievements in the Kings Birthday Honours . Almost ninety individuals have been recognised from high profile sporting figures to community heroes and tireless charity workers. Former triathlete Alistair Brownlee , who won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games has been made an OBE for services to triathlon. Harrogate-born Rachel Daly , who retired from the national England team last year having represented England at Euro 2022 and scoring her first World Cup goal in 2023 when England reached the final, has received an MBE for her achievements in women's football. A stalwart and pioneer of the game in Bradford and beyond, Nasa Hussain's long commitment to cricket has been honoured with a British Empire Medal. As head groundsman at Bradford Park Avenue Cricket Club, he has been instrumental in its redevelopment and . In Ilkley there is recognition for Professor Becky Malby for services to clean river campaigns. She is the founder of the Ilkley Clean River Group as well as the Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group.
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Changes to bathing water status test will deny rivers protection, say critics
Rivers are unlikely to be granted the protections of bathing water status under the government's changes to the system, campaigners have said. River activists have reacted with fury as details of the reforms were revealed on Wednesday. In an unexpected move, ministers are imposing a feasibility test on any waterway where a community is seeking a bathing water designation. If water bodies are deemed too polluted to improve to at least 'sufficient' water quality they will not be given a designation. River campaigners have said the restriction is very likely to exclude river sites from being granted bathing water status. No single stretch of river in England is in good overall health and the rivers that have bathing water status at the moment all record poor water quality, as a result of sewage and agricultural pollution, which will take time and investment by water companies to improve. The EU-derived bathing water regulations are being used by campaigners as a driver to clean up toxic rivers, which suffer from sewage pollution and agricultural runoff. When a waterway gets the status it is subjected to a much tougher testing regime by the Environment Agency to determine the level of faecal pollution at the site. Waterways are given the status: poor, sufficient, good or excellent. Becky Malby of the Ilkley Clean River Group, who was behind the campaign to make part of the River Wharfe the first river to be designated as a bathing water area, said: 'We are shocked at the move to only designate waters that have the potential to meet sufficient water quality. Bathing status is awarded where people use rivers to protect them. This new restriction means that at many rivers in England where people paddle, play and swim there will be no information on water quality, and those rivers will not have to comply with bathing status requirement to reduce raw sewage pollution to 10 episodes a year.' When the Wharfe received the designation in 2020, it was classed as being poor quality, she said. It has taken five years and a multimillion pound investment from Yorkshire Water to get to the stage where the river is expected be given sufficient or good status in the years to come. Chris Coode, the chief executive of environmental charity Thames21, said other government changes to the rules such as testing bathing water sites all year round rather than just in the summer were a step in the right direction. But he joined Malby's criticism of the new feasibility test. 'This change would significantly reduce the chances of inland river sites achieving designation, diverting monitoring and investments to already clean sites and preventing essential improvements needed to make our rivers safe for swimming, paddling and playing,' he said. Surfers Against Sewage also attacked the new feasibility test. Dani Jordan, the director of campaigns and communities, said: 'The proposed 'feasibility test' that deems some areas as too polluted to protect will feel like a snub to communities who are simply asking the government for help in tackling the pollution of their local bathing spots so that they can enjoy them safely.' A government source said the changes were designed to ensure that 'poor' sites were only fully designated where it was feasible and proportionate to improve the water quality to 'sufficient' standards. The source said public health needed to be protected. Under the changes, which cover England and Wales, the definition of 'bathers' will be expanded to include participants in watersports other than swimming, such as paddle boarders and surfers, the bathing water season will be extended to the whole year from its current term of May to September and multiple testing points will be created at the bathing water sites. Emma Hardy, the water minister, said: 'Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country. But safety and cleanliness is paramount, and we must go further and faster to open up our waterways for families to enjoy.' Applications for bathing water status, which have been on hold during consultation over the changes, will reopen in May.
