With less than a fifth of England’s rivers in good health, we need the Government to deliver comprehensive protections for our unique chalk streams and this begins through changes to planning and the rules that govern planning policy.

Chalk streams are rivers that rise from chalk bedrock, characterised by clear waters and a rich bioabundance. They thrive with life, providing habitats for species including the water vole, Atlantic salmon and brown trout. With 80% of these endangered rivers located in Southern England, and more chalk streams in Wiltshire than anywhere else in the UK, these rare waterways are England’s equivalent to the Amazon Rainforest and must urgently be granted the unique protection they deserve.

Even the 11 out of 220 British chalk streams that have any legal protections, including parts of the River Kennet, fall short of the measures needed to defend these rivers. While the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status they have been granted is effective for stand-alone protected sites, it is not well suited to protecting chalk steams which are heavily influenced by activities across their catchments. We are calling for the Government to introduce specific protections for our chalk streams to protect them from development-related harm. These include direct harm (at the development site) and harm from wastewater pollution.

Direct harm can involve new development that interferes with the channel or floodplains associated with the chalk stream, including concreting over floodplains and diverting the natural river channel. To tackle direct harm, we are asking the Government to protect chalk streams within planning, ensuring that new developments do not alter their unique habitats. This includes the introduction of buffer zones surrounding the chalk stream, as recommended by the CaBA Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy, to protect from pollution and habitat loss through a 50-100 metre ‘no development’ buffer zone.

Wastewater pollution, including household waste such as sewage, to agricultural waste like nitrate runoff, can add new chemicals into the stream which interfere with natural processes that keep the water clean and healthy. In 2023, widespread sewage overflows released into Wiltshire’s chalk streams, for thousands of hours including the River Till and River Avon. To prevent harm from wastewater pollution, we are calling for planning approval to be contingent on parallel investment in water supply and treatment infrastructure, to improve sewage treatment sites and prevent the release of harmful wastewater into our chalk streams.

Alongside these changes to planning policy, ambitious building regulations must be adopted to address additional pressures on chalk stream catchments, such as over-abstraction, as outlined by the CaBA Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy.

We need your help to respond to the Government’s changes to planning in England to deliver stronger protections specifically designed for our chalk streams. Chalk streams must be re-classified as an irreplaceable habitat, alongside ancient woodland, to grant protection from new development threatening to damage these precious habitats. The consultation on the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework is now open until the 11:45pm on the 24^th of September. To use your voice, email PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk, using the template below.

How can you help?

Here's what you can do in 5 minutes:

1. Email the government: Use our pre-written template to demand stronger chalk stream protections using the link here. Consultation closes Sept 24th!
2. Spread the word: Share this blog with your friends and family.

Together, we can ensure these irreplaceable habitats thrive for generations to come!