3. Measures to achieve the environmental objectives

This section summarises the measures to achieve each of the main sets of environmental objectives for water bodies and protected areas set out in the plans.

The summaries do not provide an exhaustive list of the measures relevant to each objective. In practice, many measures will help achieve more than one environmental objective, for example a river restoration project to build a constructed wetland may improve water body status by removing phosphorus and achieve habitat site objectives by providing important habitat for rare insect species. Habitat sites refers to ‘European sites’ and ‘European marine sites’ under regulation 8 of the Habitats Regulations 2017 (as amended). It is often difficult to attribute a measure to a single environmental objective.

3.1 Measures to prevent deterioration

These measures play a significant role in protecting all the current uses of the water environment and the benefits that society gets from it. These ongoing measures represent substantial investment and all sectors with an interest in the water environment have a role to play. These measures apply across all river basin districts.

They are generally regulatory in nature (for example, exercise of powers relating to permitting, enforcement, and development planning) although non-statutory measures such as those in codes of practice and agreements between partners have an important role.

Mechanisms including exercising powers to prevent and respond to pollution incidents and prevent major accidents are also extremely important.

Each year, about 90% of the money to protect and improve the water environment and associated public health in England is spent on measures to prevent deterioration.

3.2 Measures to achieve protected area objectives

3.2.1 Habitats sites protected areas

Measures for habitat sites protected areas (water dependent Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) are expressed through a range of actions required to restore the water-dependent aspects of the habitats and species at the individual site level.

For the sites of special scientific interest underlying each habitat site, Natural England records remedies on its site management database. Remedies describe the actions needed to restore the site to, and maintain it in, favourable conservation status.

Remedies represent the recognised plan of action that forms the basis of the programme of measures for habitat sites. Major stakeholders responsible for delivering the actions have access to the database. Information about remedies for individual sites are available on request from enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.

In addition, site improvement plans, produced under the Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites project, provide an overview of the longer-term issues that need to be addressed on habitat sites.

National level measures for habitat sites are identified in the programmes of measures summarised in the river basin management plans. They are also described in more detail in the ‘European site protected areas: challenges for the water environment’ document.

3.2.2 Drinking water protected areas

One of the main tools to help protect drinking water protected areas are safeguard zones. Safeguard zones are catchment areas that influence the water quality for those drinking water protected areas which are at risk of failing their objectives. Further details are provided in the drinking water protected area challenges for the water environment document. A map of the safeguard zone can be found on Drinking Water Safeguard Zones and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (data.gov.uk), from here you can download the action plans that set out the measures to achieve drinking water protected area objectives.

3.2.3 Nutrient sensitive areas

Environmental permits ensure all relevant discharges from waste water treatment works affecting nutrient sensitive areas (urban waste water treatment) have appropriate phosphorus or nitrogen limits, thus protecting these sensitive areas. Information on the sensitive areas in different parts of England can be obtained here Urban waste water treatment: updated sensitive areas maps 2019.

Land managers in nutrient sensitive areas (nitrate vulnerable zones) must implement measures to comply with rules on the use nitrogen fertiliser and the store of organic manure.

3.2.4 Economically significant and recreational waters protected areas

A range of locally tailored measures are used to address the diffuse and point sources of pollution that effect economically significant species (shellfish waters) and recreational waters (bathing waters) protected areas. The action plans for Shellfish waters and priority Bathing waters (those that are poor, at risk of becoming poor or have shown deterioration) will be available in December 2022 on request from the Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre e-mail address at enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.

3.3 Measures to achieve water body status objectives

The programmes of measures to achieve water body status objectives in each river basin district are given in the list below, including hyperlinks to where more detailed measures information can be found:

These programmes result in action on the ground, such as improving sewage treatments works or river habitat restoration projects. As part of this, supporting measures are also implemented such as reviewing regulatory permits and undertaking inspection and enforcement action. Further details for programmes are given in the Mechanisms document (see section 6).