Herefordshire’s two MPs have raised concerns about the role of the Environment Agency

Herefordshire’s two MPs have raised concerns about the role of the Environment Agency in protecting the county, and the river Wye in particular.

North Herefordshire MP Sir Bill Wiggin asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions: “The river Wye, pollution, flooding, housebuilding and the wider environment are all important to my right honourable friend.

“So will he meet me to discuss the future of the Environment Agency?”

Mr Johnson replied: “I’m always happy to meet my honourable friend and I congratulate him on his recent elevation [Sir Bill was knighted in the New Year Honours].

“I must say that the Environment Agency faces many challenges and does an outstanding job of building flood defences. 314,000 homes are better protected since 2015 and we continue to invest massively to help them. But I am always happy to meet him.”

Sir Bill said afterwards: “From the wonderful new flood defences in Leominster, to the issuing of licences to housing developers, from the protection of the river Wye to the nitrate vulnerable zones under our beautiful countryside, the EA plays an enormous role in the lives of all of us in Herefordshire.

“I am looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister as there are issues which cannot be addressed at a local level.

“Defra needs the direction and support from No.10 in order to take forward this vital agency in a way that works properly for Herefordshire.”

Meanwhile, Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman yesterday tweeted to EA chief executive James Bevan: “When will you meet with me and colleagues to discuss the situation with the river Wye?”

Mr Norman explained: “I have been seeking to engage properly with the EA at several different levels for months.

“It is astonishing to me that the chief executive officer of a public agency funded by the taxpayer feels able to ignore repeated requests to meet from a Member of Parliament, former committee chair and Treasury minister and colleagues, all of whom have a direct interest in the wellbeing of the Wye.

“So, I greatly welcome Bill Wiggin’s question to the PM.”

Mr Bevan earlier said: “We are seeing too much pollution from sources we have known about for years: sewage, farming, industry and road-run off. Campaigners are right to be saying that this is not good enough.”

But he added: “The first people who should be paying to protect and enhance our waters are the polluters themselves. At the moment they aren’t.

“Water company chief executives should have their pay linked to levels of pollution their companies cause.”