£4 million-plus funding will help protect the River Axe
East Devon District Council will receive a government funding boost to address the impacts of wastewater on water quality in the River Axe.
A range of factors, including agriculture and new homes built in the area, contribute to the pollution of the River Axe, even after wastewater treatment. Levels of phosphates in the river, part of which is a Special Area of Conservation, is harming wildlife.
Government funding will address pollution and unlock around 1,000 homes that are due to be built over the next 15 years in the area.
The Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund will make sure that building the homes local people need will not come at the expense of the environment, with the £4 million-plus boost being used to protect local rivers and precious habitats.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) will use the funding to upgrade sewage treatment plants and septic tanks, as well as measures to prevent flooding. Wetlands will also be constructed and water saving measures on council homes will be introduced. The funding will also be used in the River Axe catchment in Dorset and Somerset. EDDC is the lead authority administering the scheme, delivering improvements to the natural environment and helping more families on to the property ladder.
Cllr Paul Arnott, Leader of East Devon District Council, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from Government as it will help us address priority areas in our Council Plan. Firstly, it will help us to unlock much needed new homes in Axminster and address the River Axe Special Area of Conservation catchment (including within Somerset and Dorset) to support the local economy. Secondly, it will help us to act on our recent Declaration of a Nature Emergency. The River Axe is of national importance for its biodiversity but has been in a very poor condition due to the phosphates that have been pouring into its waterway and harming the wildlife it supports. This funding will help us to address this urgent situation, enable delivery of the local plan and start to clean up one of East Devon’s most important rivers for wildlife.”
Cllr Todd Olive, Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning at East Devon District Council, said: “Nutrient pollution is an urgent and complex problem across England, where increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorous from a variety of sources – including both homes and agriculture – can have serious consequences for natural habitats and wildlife. While helpful in unlocking housebuilding projects currently blocked due to this pollution, first and foremost this funding will help protect our natural world, which is so crucial to East Devon in so many ways.”
