CPRW’s concerns are shared by other local environmental NGOs.

The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust: The RWT has objected to those IPU applications with the most damaging impacts, including impacts on RWT Wildlife Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest and where damage to important lower plant species (including rare and nationally, even globally, important lichen species) is likely. Our CPRW branch is grateful to the RWT for much valuable advice and the two organisations worked together over the Ponds, Rivers and Poultry event in 2016.

The Wye and Usk Foundation: In 2015 and 2016 WUF published:

• Poultry and Planning – overview of nutrient pollution issues associated with IPUs and the Water Framework Directive requirements to protect water quality
• Position Statement on Free Range Poultry 2016

WUF’s work includes on-farm advice to prevent and remediate diffuse pollution issues arising from IPU siting and management.

Plantlife: In 2018 Plantlife has published ‘We need to talk about nitrogen’ in two editions, one covering UK wide issues and one specific to the situation in Wales. These are important reports on the impacts of nitrification of our ecosystems and the consequences for our flora, habitats and biodiversity. The Executive Summary to the Welsh edition states:

“Air pollution is now one of the primary causes of wildlife loss and environmental degradation in Wales. Unprecedented concentrations of nitrogen have built up in the atmosphere, due to ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from intensive farming practices and fossil fuels. This report focuses on the less well-known issue of ammonia pollution arising from intensive farming.”

Afonnydd Cymru: In March 2018 Afonydd Cymru, the umbrella organisation for the Welsh Rivers Trusts, has reported the Welsh Government to the European Commission for breaches of the Water Framework Directive.

Others: We were grateful for the active support of our petition from many angling and river conservation groups, large and small, including the Angling Trust/Fish Legal and the Campaign for the Protection of Welsh Fisheries.

Welsh Water Conference May 2018:

Professor Steven Ormerod (Conference Chair & freshwater ecologist, Cardiff University) stated that freshwater ecosystems are degrading faster than any other ecosystems. Concerns about agricultural pollution were expressed in several presentations. The RSPB’s speaker reminded the audience of the conclusion in the 2016 State of Nature report that the intensification of agriculture over the last 40 years has presented the greatest single threat to wildlife and current controls are not working to adequately address pollution problems from excess nutrients and pesticides. The RSPB calls for regulation and independent audit to form part of any system of farming support payments which will replace the Common Agricultural Policy subsidies. These concerns were echoed by the Woodland Trust. Natural Resources Wales confirmed that Wales is not managing water sustainably and announced the recent establishment of an agricultural pollution sub group. Speakers were agreed that reduction of pollution at source is essential.

Revised April 2019