After fears £11m would be diverted to Treasury, money will be spent on restoring areas where penalties issued

Millions of pounds of fines imposed on water firms will fund environmental schemes to protect the country’s waterways after fears the money would be diverted to the Treasury.

The water restoration fund was set up by the Conservative government to ensure that polluting water firms paid for the damage they caused. The fund received £11m in fines and penalties from April 2022 to October 2023.

It was reported in January that the Treasury was looking to keep money earmarked for projects across the country. River trusts have submitted bids to improve and monitor the health of a number of rivers, including the River Derwent in Derbyshire and the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

  • YungOnions@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    23 hours ago

    This is a good start, however this part is of some concern:

    Environmental campaigners wanted an amendment in the new bill to ensure all future fines imposed on water firms would be ringfenced for restoration projects. The amendment was not included in the new bill and ministers have been repeatedly challenged over how future criminal fines and civil penalties will be used.

    • ratelEnglish
      2·
      22 hours ago

      So they didn’t even put this scotch tape solution into the bill? Water companies should be nationalised to prevent them from committing these crimes in the first place.