Labour MPs Urge Water Rule Overhaul As Drought Threatens UK Harvests

Labour MPs are pressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Government to relax water and planning restrictions to help farmers and growers cope with one of the most damaging droughts in decades.

In a letter to Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, the MPs called for greater flexibility over water abstraction licences, a faster planning process for farm reservoirs and targeted financial support for agricultural businesses repeatedly affected by drought.

The intervention comes as growers face severe pressure on water supplies, with irrigation-dependent crops including potatoes, onions, carrots and brassicas particularly exposed to the prolonged dry conditions.

According to The Telegraph, the MPs want ministers to review environmental regulations that they believe may prevent farmers from responding quickly enough during periods of exceptional water scarcity.

Their proposals include introducing a grant scheme to help vulnerable farm businesses invest in more efficient irrigation and other improvements designed to strengthen resilience.

The letter said: “Climate adaptation must now sit alongside climate mitigation as a central pillar of Government policy.”

It also called for improved communication between farmers and local Environment Agency teams, alongside greater flexibility over when water can be taken from rivers and groundwater.

The Environment Agency formally declared half of England to be in drought on 29 July. Seven areas were placed in official drought status, including East Anglia, London and Hertfordshire, the Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands and Wessex.

The agency said rivers were running low, crops were being harvested early and restrictions on water use were affecting millions of people.

The crisis follows a historically dry July. Met Office figures show England received just 6.5mm of rain during the month — only 10 per cent of its long-term average and less than half the previous July record set in 1911. Southern England received just three per cent of its usual rainfall.

The impact is already being seen across British agriculture. Analysis reported by Reuters suggests the UK cereal and oilseed harvest could be reduced by as much as 2.5 million tonnes against earlier forecasts, potentially costing arable farmers up to £390 million in lost revenue.

Although those figures primarily cover cereal and oilseed crops, fresh produce growers face similar challenges. Vegetable production often relies heavily on irrigation during the summer, leaving businesses particularly vulnerable when abstraction is restricted or on-farm reservoirs run low.

The MPs’ appeal reflects a growing debate over how environmental protection, food production and water security should be balanced as extreme weather becomes more frequent.

The Climate Change Committee has also called for increased sustainable water storage and greater support for on-farm reservoirs, warning that helping agriculture adapt will be essential to keeping the sector viable and protecting national food security.