The government has yesterday (Wednesday 28 January) unveiled a "shake up" to farming rules intended to cut pollution and support farmers.

The announcement from Defra said that existing agricultural water rules will be simplified in order to cut "unnecessary duplication and complexity" and make it easier for farmers to understand and follow the rules.

* Responding to the announcement, Soil Association Policy Director Brendan Costelloe said: * "There is undoubtedly scope to simplify aspects of the regulations that are intended to protect our rivers from agricultural pollution, but the focus needs to be on making them effective.

"This means lower permitting thresholds for intensive pig and poultry production, which has wreaked so much havoc on our environment, and introducing permitting for intensive cattle and dairy production that astonishingly doesn't currently require any permitting at all.

"Crucially, permitting needs to take into account cumulative effects and the ecological status of an area. Our research shows several rivers are already at risk of suffering the same horrors facing the Wye - we must stop this spilling out into other parts of the county."

In a new consultation, the government is also proposing tighter controls on spreading sewage sludge on farmland, including options to bring it under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. 

Brendan added: "Stronger controls on sewage sludge spreading are welcome but we also need much improved treatment and monitoring as it should be able to play a key role in delivering a more circular economy with less waste. But in practice it's full of nasty microplastics and PFAS that are contaminating our soils."