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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton Environment reporter

Labour’s agriculture plans will increase chicken waste in rivers, say campaigners

Steve Reed, the environment secretary, gives a press conference after his keynote speech at the Oxford Farming Conference 2025, wearing a red tie and black jacket
Steve Reed, the environment secretary, told the Oxford Farming Conference that Labour want to ‘speed up’ planning rules around UK agriculture. Photograph: David Hartley/Shutterstock

Labour’s proposal to loosen planning regulations for farmers will deluge rivers with chicken faeces, environmental campaigners have warned.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, promised farmers on Thursday they would be able to build larger chicken sheds, but experts have said this would create “megafarms” and contribute to river pollution.

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