We should empower farmers to build more ponds
4 min read
The government can pull a simple lever to help farmers combat the effects of extreme heat.
Reform UK's Richard Tice might say, sit back and enjoy the warm weather. But he should tell that to our farmers. This summer’s drought has hit them hard. Crops have been devastated, and livestock have collapsed under the heat, all adding extra financial hardship.
This winter won’t provide much of a respite, either. With our verdant fields turned into a barren landscape and extreme weather becoming more frequent, intense flooding is all but unavoidable. Farmers’ crops will be washed away, our green and pleasant land eroded, rivers polluted, and rural communities devastated. We shouldn’t ignore the wider impacts either, with food security undermined, millions of pounds spent cleaning up the damage, and food prices sent spiralling.
Farmers know their land inside and out. Speaking to my constituents, farmers, and the Westcountry River Trust, they can – and want – to take the initiative to protect their communities and livelihoods. Something as simple as a pond could make a significant difference, and they're ready to act.
But, of course, government regulations are holding them back.
We have spent all summer talking about what we can do to help our farmers. As Public First polling shows, voters have found the Prime Minister's response underwhelming. The funding to support farmers to manage drier weather isn’t new money. It has been taken from another farming pot, meaning other schemes will be squeezed.
There are so many levers to pull, but surely the most obvious is to take the handcuffs off farmers, and empower them to get their spades out, get digging, and protect their communities.
That is why I have introduced a Private Member’s Bill to expand permitted development rights (PDRs) for ponds.
PDRs are an under-utilised, red tape-cutting lever which the government can pull. It gives landowners, farmers, or developers automatic planning permission to build certain infrastructure as long as it follows pre-determined rules, for instance on size. It allows people to safely install infrastructure that delivers numerous benefits, while cutting the costs and construction time that developers would have spent going through the tortuous planning process.
We don’t often think of ponds as essential infrastructure. They are, of course, semi-natural features, perhaps worth a minute or two to stop and enjoy when on your country walk. But they are just as important as bridges or roads, especially with the rise of more extreme and frequent weather events as climate change worsens.
As farmers will tell you, ponds have numerous benefits. When farmers experience intense periods of rainfall, well-placed ponds can act as a basin, soaking up all the excess water runoff. This adds an extra barrier against flooding for farmland and rural towns and villages.
When we face another blistering heatwave, ponds can also be essential for recharging groundwater, restoring the depleted water table, keeping crops alive, and then replenishing the land ready for planting.
Finally, they can act as an oasis for nature. Whether it is swallows dive-bombing for a drink during the heat, toads using them as hunting grounds, or water boatmen skimming the surface, they can be teaming with wildlife. But unfortunately, they have been slowly disappearing, with now two-thirds of ponds in the UK lost since the 19th century.
These freedoms can benefit the wider community beyond farmers. Local conservation groups would also be able to create ponds without seeking planning consent in their village, bringing nature, beauty, and extra flood defences to their community.
It is madness that, with one hand, the government is financially incentivising farmers to tackle drought and store water on their land, but with the other hand, is tying them up in planning red tape and costs. We should create proper safeguards, and then trust farmers to build this critical infrastructure to protect their land and surrounding communities.
Extending PDRs to ponds is a win for nature, farmers, and rural communities. That is what my bill will fix. Let’s bring common sense back to nature restoration, drought resilience, and flood defences.
Rebecca Smith is Conservative MP for South West Devon
