Wildlife is the priority

WE NOW know where that reduction in funding for British Waterways is going—for otters and other wildlife—£110 millions of it!

Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Caroline Spelman, who has promised to slash the grant to British Waterways is instead giving £110 millions to the waterways, which she says are blighted by waters that cannot support otters and other wildlife.

Tackling pollution

She argues that wildlife will benefit from a £110m boost the government is spending on England's waterways, to allow it to flourish by tackling pollution and invasive weeds.

She also told that ministers wanted people to become more involved in caring for their local waterways.

None for British Waterways

The funding will be shared between the Environment Agency, Natural England and other charities, but none for British Waterways.

This money is earmarked for England alone because funding for waterways is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Weeds and lifeless waters

Making the announcement, Caroline Spelman remarked:

"The health of our rivers has come along in leaps and bounds, but we still see nasty invasive weeds, and lifeless waters blight blue spaces in cities and across our countryside.

"With this funding, we'll help all our waterways thrive by tackling problems that until now have been sitting in the 'too-hard' basket. Our new grass-roots approach to boosting healthier waterways and flourishing wildlife has local experience and knowledge at its heart."