Draft river basin management plans

Results updated 13 Sep 2022

The Draft river basin management plans consultation: summary of responses document is available to view: 

River basin planning: draft river basin management plans - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The document summarises the main points raised from the 270 responses we received from this consultation on the draft RBMPs.

The main themes you told us about are:

• biodiversity

• chemicals and plastics

• climate change

• flood and coastal erosion risk management

• funding

• implementation

• nature-based solutions

• partnership working

• planning and regulation

• rural issues and rural land management

• urban issues

• water industry

You largely supported the implementation principles. However, you asked for more detail on how the principles will be implemented. Most agreed with the environmental objectives in the RBMPs. You wanted the environmental objectives to be achieved as soon as possible to help the environment deal with climate change. At the same time, you acknowledged that the scale of the challenge to achieve the objectives will also increase because of the pace of climate change. Many of you are concerned about the lack of progress since the last river basin management plans towards meeting good ecological status. You said that the draft RBMPs lack ambition.

Many of you wanted more clarity and improvements to the information about measures and you found this information difficult to use. Some of you wanted and expected to see more information on local measures about local places presented in a more accessible way. Conversely, other people wanted to see greater clarity on the strategic approach to prioritising action across different catchments (that is between different local places).

Catchment partnership pages are included in the RBMPs for the first time and you welcomed them. Many of you said the partnership pages demonstrate the growing importance of the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) and catchment partnerships in implementing RBMPs.

There was wide agreement on these issues:

• a system-wide approach, from source to sea, is the most appropriate way to manage the water environment

• wider engagement with water users to increase knowledge of the importance of clean and plentiful water, and compliance with water quality regulations and water efficiency measures

• a long-term planning approach to adapt to climate change

• the significant collective challenge now and ahead, particularly regarding chemicals

• changes to planning and regulation across government, and adequate funding to deal with the impact of activity in urban areas, housing, water supply and rural areas

• the need for more nature-based solutions, accepting and managing the risk inherent in these approaches

• long-term funding for organisations, particularly catchment partnerships, to improve the environment by working collaboratively using the catchment based approach

• monitoring and data collection using a wider range of sources, including citizen science

• better linking across other plans and strategies and with partners, for example on flood risk management and managing coastal waters

• more easily searchable data, particularly at more local levels

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.