Claire Perry meets Defra Minister, ARK Chairman and WWF to review the state of the River Kennet
On Friday morning, Claire met with Under-secretary of State at Defra, Richard Benyon, Chairman of Action for the River Kennet (ARK), Geoffrey Findlay, and representatives of the WWF, to discuss the continuing problems over abstraction and to review the Kennet water flow levels.
The Kennet has run dry in the grounds of Marlborough College and ARK is concerned over the damage abstraction is causing to the river's ecology. The government is currently drafting its Water White Paper and ARK is working with the WWF to ensure this opportunity is taken to change water licencing rules to protect chalk streams like the Kennet.
In her most recent column for the Gazette and Herald, Claire states: "We must have a more realistic licensing and abstraction charging scheme in place as soon as possible."
Following the meeting, Minister Benyon, thanked those involved for "a really useful chat over a very worrying river."
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