Re-thinking the approach to WFD:

Around ninety people form business, industry, academia and policy met in Leeds on the 17th January to discuss what actions were needed – and the best way to implement them for the UK to comply with the WFD.

Presentations were given from high profile staff from DEFRA, the Environment Agency, NFU, Natural England, ARUP and Yorkshire Water (as below).

Miles Foulger (Yorkshire Water)
Katherine Pygott (ARUP)
Claire McCamphill (Defra)
Glen Cooper (Natural England)
Dave Baxter (Environment Agency)
Michael Payne (NFU)

Afternoon action planning and knowledge exchange focussed on three complex topic areas:
1)    Agriculture and rural land management
2)    Urban planning and diffuse pollution
3)    Hydromorphology- achieving good ecological potential

Outputs include a collation of available knowledge, recommendations for a new approach to regional cross functional topic groups to progress solutions and share information on a range of complex environmental issues.

An event report can be viewed here.