Water companies are allowing important natural landscapes they own to fall into disrepair, data shows, with only 16% of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) under their control in good condition.
The companies have been accused of “polluting for profit” by not investing to improve the status of their SSSIs.
Charles Watson, the chair of River Action, said: “Nothing demonstrates better the appalling environmental record of our polluting water companies than the fact that they are not even taking care of the highly protected areas that they actually own. It simply cannot be right that the payment of large dividends to shareholders and huge bonuses to bosses is prioritised before protecting SSSIs. This entire culture of polluting for profit must end.”
An SSSI is a piece of land that the government has deemed very important for nature. The designation covers some of Great Britain’s most precious landscapes, including national parks, coastal areas, mountains and moors, and protects them from development.
But data shows that many large landowners are not keeping their SSSIs in a good state.
Natural England, the non-departmental public body charged with protecting England’s nature, has grouped the largest SSSI owners together into the major landowners’ group (MLG). This includes water companies, national parks, charities such as the RSPB, and government bodies including the Environment Agency.
New data on the MLG shows some landowners have fallen behind; in addition to water companies, only 14.6% of SSSIs belonging to national park authorities are in a good state, according to the April 2024 figures.
Some landowners are doing rather better in managing their SSSIs: 80.8% of sites owned by the Environment Agency and 57.7% of those run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are deemed to be in favourable condition.
Campaigners have called on the Labour government to force water companies and other landowners to bring their SSSIs into a better condition.
The environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole, the author of the forthcoming book The Lie of the Land who uncovered the data, said: “Major landowners have a particular responsibility to look after the nature in their care – but too many are clearly failing to be good stewards.
“Labour must make big landowners like water companies publicly accountable and set a legally binding target for improving SSSI condition.
“Ministers have a golden opportunity to set up a new public nature estate, ensuring public land and major landowners are leading the way for nature recovery, and helping to meet the UN goal of 30% of England being protected for nature by 2030.”
The water campaigner and former Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey said: “In a time when there is debate about regulation, the perfect storm approaches. Natural England once again is proving its failure to regulate and hold to account those who damage the environment, and the water companies are once again demonstrating they are institutionally deaf to the plight of the environment and their duty not to damage it.
“We need a complete overhaul of the system, which is dysfunctional and does not work.”
A Water UK spokesperson said: “According to Natural England data, 85% of water company-owned SSSIs are in favourable or recovering condition. This is comparable with other major landowners.”
Natural England and National Parks England have been contacted for comment.
