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The Latest Breaking News from Defra

I’ve navigated log burner building regulations myself — this is what all homeowners need to make sure they know to obtain the necessary consent

It's crucial you get it right

Ideal Home

Defra identifies five key plant types to help make gardens ‘flood-ready’

IN FULL

The Independent UK

England sees second worst harvest on record, analysis shows

Provisional Government data suggests a much worse harvest than experts had so far predicted.

The Independent UK

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

More than 20,000 new homes approved to be built in Sussex after four-year delay

Building work for 21,000 new homes in Horsham, Crawley and Chichester has been halted since 2021 over environmental concerns for the Arun Valley.

Evening Standard

21,000 new homes to be built despite concerns over UK beauty spot

Building work for 21,000 properties had been stalled since 2021

The Independent UK

UK plastic waste exports to developing countries rose 84% in a year, data shows

Campaigners say increase in exports mostly to Malaysia and Indonesia is ‘unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism’

The Guardian - UK

Brexit has done nothing to stem sharp decline of UK fish populations, shows study

Experts call for urgent strategy to end overfishing as report shows just 41% of stocks of species such as cod and mackerel considered healthy

The Guardian - UK

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Call to end overfishing to save British fish supper as key stocks face collapse

Half of UK’s top commercial fish stocks are either overfished to critically low levels or being overexploited, a report from Oceana UK warns.

The Independent UK

£500m Thames Water desalination plant has provided just seven days’ water over 15 years

Plant in Beckton has run only five times and has been beset by multiple problems since it was built

The Guardian - UK

Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’

Species index fell by 4% between 2019 and 2024 – although data shows woodland populations beginning to stabilise

The Guardian - UK

Aerated taps and showerheads to be required in new homes under proposed rules

The Government hopes the measures can help to unblock stalled developments and contribute to water-saving targets.

The Independent UK

Government may have failed to comply with law over marine target, watchdog says

The Office for Environmental Protection said the marine environment in England and Northern Ireland remains in a highly degraded state.

Evening Standard

Bottom trawling to continue in English protected waters, government rules

Defra says blanket ban on ‘destructive’ fishing practice disproportionate as MPs urge minister to reconsider

The Guardian - UK

Thousands of farmers facing uncertainty over payments to protect nature

Farmers say they ‘feel abandoned’ and have been left in the dark about whether environmental payments will roll over.

Evening Standard

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The Independent UK

Warning Labour’s rewilding plans could trigger surge in UK wildfires

Labour proposes to ban winter burning from over half of England’s peatland

Evening Standard

Lower Thames Crossing first scheme with new environmental approach – minister

Other projects could also be made ‘faster’ by a drive to scrap and streamline environmental rules, Steve Reed said.

The Conversation

Three reasons plastic pollution treaty talks ended in disagreement and deadlock (but not collapse)

The latest round of negotiations for a UN global plastics treaty has ended without a deal. After more than three years of talks, deep divisions remain. Agreement is only marginally closer than before talks began. For many countries, campaigners and observer organisations, the outcome is deeply disappointing.

The Guardian - UK

Thames Water says new Abingdon reservoir could cost bill-payers up to £7.5bn

Price rise to three times original budget is a blow to government’s reservoir expansion plans

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The Independent UK

Amazon and eBay must report electronics sold in UK under new recycling rules

Foreign companies selling electronics to British shoppers via online platforms like Amazon and eBay will have to start contributing to e-waste costs.

The Independent UK

UK aid cuts will cause untold damage, wildlife charities warn – as they fear for future of key programmes

IN FOCUS: Nick Ferris talks to groups around Britain and Africa about the cost-cutting that is already taking place, and the difficult few years ahead

The Guardian - UK

‘Outwitted’: have water companies managed to sidestep Labour’s bonus ban?

Concerns loophole in 2025 act allows payouts at firms that repeatedly pollute England’s waterways with sewage

The Guardian - UK

Four areas of England now in drought as heat threatens wildlife and crops

Ministers call for hosepipe bans as East and West Midlands enter drought, joining Yorkshire and north-west

The Guardian - UK

Step up restoration of ancient woodland before it is lost, Forestry England urged

Campaigners say just 5.8% of irreplaceable habitat at publicly owned sites has been fully restored in 10 years

The Guardian - UK

Environment Agency insider alleges ‘cover-up’ over sewage sludge on farmland

Regulator and government accused of colluding with water industry to dump potentially toxic waste without oversight

The Guardian - UK

‘Like fly-tipping’: ministers ignoring pleas to cut sludge fertiliser use

Exclusive: Defra warned three years ago of farmland contamination by water firms’ sewage-derived product

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