Published 1st May 2026, 23:45 BST
Streamlined agriculture rules to cut duplication and make it easier for farmers to drive down water pollution
New, clearer rules proposed today (Tuesday 27 January) will help to improve water quality, reduce pollution in our rivers and give farmers the confidence to grow food sustainably.
41% of England’s rivers, lakes and streams are currently affected by agricultural pollution, and they will get stronger protection under new proposals to increase oversight on sewage sludge spreading.
A consultation launched today proposes tighter controls on spreading sewage sludge on farmland, including options to bring it under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, to better protect human health and the environment from harmful contaminants.
At the same time, existing agricultural water rules will be simplified, cutting unnecessary duplication and complexity and making it easier for farmers to understand and follow the rules.
The measures form an important part of delivering the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, reducing ammonia emissions from farming, and the Water White Paper – a major overhaul of how England’s water system is regulated and managed.
Water Minister Emma Hardy and Farming Minister Angela Eagle set out the plans at a roundtable with key farming, water and environmental stakeholders today as part of the government’s plan to transform Britain’s water system.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
By setting clearer guidelines and providing better support, we’re making it simpler for farmers to meet standards, farm sustainably and protect our environment.
Dairy farms in England could face new environmental permitting requirements under forthcoming government plans, prompting warnings from the NFU over cost and regulatory burden.
Defra is expected to consult this summer on extending Environmental Permitting Regulations to the dairy and “intensive beef” sectors, as set out in the Water White Paper and Environmental Improvement Plan 2025.
The move would mark a significant shift for the sector, bringing more livestock farms into a permitting regime already applied to some intensive pig and poultry units.
See also: Cattle farmers face new pollution permits
Based on current permitting costs in the pig and poultry sectors, it could cost producers up to £10,000 to acquire a permit plus an additional £2,000 to renew each year.
A farmer-led alternative to environmental permitting for dairy and beef is gaining traction, with industry leaders increasingly confident a more workable system can be developed.
NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said a coalition of industry bodies is developing proposals that could reduce the need for formal permitting for most farms, while still delivering environmental outcomes.
“Farmers delivering best practice on farm should not be held back by unnecessary permitting,” he said.
See also: Dairy permitting could drive up farm costs, NFU warns
“A structured permitting model designed for other sectors just isn’t a good fit for dairy and beef, because the farms are so different.”
The group – led by the NFU with support from AHDB and involvement from processors and other industry bodies – is exploring an alternative system based on risk and on-farm evidence.
Mr Tompkins outlined a “triangle” approach, where farms would sit on a spectrum according to their pollution risk.
Those able to demomstrate strong environmental performance around slurry, water and air would fall below the threshold for permitting, while higher risk units could still face reegulatory oversight.
He said: “The more you do to evidence what you do to reduce risk, the lower down that triangle you come.
“The vast majority of farms should be low enough that they fall belo the need for permitting.”
The move comes amid concern that environmental permitting could increase costs, restrict business growth and add further complexity.
Industry leaders have also stressed the need for continued funding to support on-farm investment and for greater resourcing of catchment-sensitive farming advice.
Mr Tompkins said there is “warmth” in Defra towards an alternative.
Ahead of a formal consultation, expected later this year,
