Calls Grow For Planning Reforms To Boost On-Farm Water Storage

Farming organisations and MPs are urging the government to reduce planning barriers to on-farm reservoirs as drought conditions spread across the UK.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) says only 34 on-farm reservoirs have been completed over the past five years, despite increasing pressure on farms to secure reliable water supplies, reports Farmers Guide.

With three droughts recorded in the UK over the past five years, the case for greater water storage capacity is becoming more pressing. 

However, securing planning permission and other regulatory approvals can represent a significant obstacle for farm businesses seeking to build reservoirs.

The CLA estimates that landowners spend an average of £45,000 obtaining the permissions needed before construction work can begin.

The organisation has identified key lobbying priorities; calling for reforms to permitted development rights, improved access to abstraction licences, and an extension of the Annual Investment Allowance to cover on-farm reservoirs.

“For years, farmers have been watching crops die in the ground because there’s not enough water,” lamented CLA president Gavin Lane.

“Yet every winter, rain pours down across fields that can be desperately short of water by summer. Farmers should be able to capture more of that [water] when it’s plentiful and store it for the dry months ahead.

“Instead, planning rules make reservoirs slow and costly to build, while rigid restrictions on taking water to fill them can leave farmers short when they need it the most.

“With so much money at stake and no guarantee of an outcome, many simply can’t afford to take the risk.”

The calls echo those made by other farming organisations, including the NFU, as well as Labour MPs, who have also argued that the planning process should be made more straightforward for growers seeking to develop on-farm reservoirs.

Government Response To Drought

The issue comes as the government prepares to address the effects of the current heatwave and drought. 

Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting yesterday (12 August) to discuss the UK’s response to drought, heatwaves, and wildfires.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said the summer had presented significant challenges, including for farmers operating in drought-affected areas.

“We will continue to take the action needed to keep communities safe, protect water supplies and safeguard the environment,” pledged the spokesperson.

Sam Keely, parliamentary engagement officer at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the impact of climate change on food production presents another critical challenge for the government.

“Climate change is piling the pressure on a new government which has made tackling the cost-of-living crisis its first priority, with farmers warning of potentially severe economic losses, and further hikes in the price of food ahead of what’s likely to be one of the worst harvests on record,” Keely commented.

For fresh produce businesses, the debate over reservoir planning comes as growers face increasing pressure to maintain production and irrigation supplies during periods of prolonged dry weather. 

Easier access to on-farm water storage is likely to remain an important issue as the sector considers how best to build resilience against increasingly variable and extreme weather patterns.

The CLA is urging farmers and landowners to play their part in strengthening calls for faster government action by writing to their local MP to explain how drought, wildfire, and/or abstraction restrictions are affecting their business.