The farmer did a super job, he is to be congratulated, not like the text book idiot that took issue with him, The village I hope will crowd fund for this man, I know support will come from far and wide,
The Environment agency extract a levy from landowners for every acre they farm. Supposedly this is called Drainage Rates. Environment agency do nothing in exchange for that levy in respect of maintaining clear waterways. Whilst the Environment Agency may have a raft of laws to hide behind, they are in no way fit to take responsibility for water management. Landowners should collectively retain the money demanded for drainage rates to provide funds to deal with Environment Agency parasites
With climate change and the increase in local concentrated deluges we really need to step back and make a national assessment and consider the longer term solutions (no pun intended).to what is going to be an ever increasing problem. A recent 'Briefing Room' edition on Radio 4 provided an interesting insight into the issues.
THE Environment Agency have already taken so many backward steps that they will soon be in danger of falling off a cliff. Too many chiefs and not enough indians.
When riparian owners undertake work themselves, it is often well intentioned, but can be very damaging to the fragile ecology. I can understand the landowners' frustration with Government bodies, but many of these sites are delicate ecosystems. Having said that, I would be happier to see the senior managers of the greedy, polluting water companies punished with imprisonment rather than landowners.
I think that we all would be happier gaining a lot more insight into this multi-faceted issue. THEN perhaps come together about an agreed and concerted plan for the future. None of this is simple and some the the studies provide fascinating but worrying views of the future.
This offence and it's appeal unearthed a great deal of other information (now a matter of public record) - in what I think media folk refer to as the 'back story'
