As a result of our contribution to the petition on “Provide funding for a nationwide, nature-rich river corridor network.” we’ve had a response from the government.  Some of the highlights of their response are:

We are protecting or restoring 20,000 kilometres of watercourses and investing in flood protection.

As a result of the June 2025 Spending Review we are directing over £7 billion directed into nature’s recovery, including  environmental farming schemes, tree planting, and peatland restoration. On 1st December 2025 we published our revised Environmental Improvement Plan which is backed by newly announced funding of £500 million for Landscape Recovery (LR) projects. These will make a significant contribution to the Environment Act and statutory net zero targets, including improving water quality, air quality, and spaces for wildlife so biodiversity can thrive, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes include the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT), and LR.

• SFI includes an explicit action (BFS6) that pays for establishing and managing a minimum of 6 metres up to 12 metres wide strip beside watercourses.
• The CSHT provides a number of grants which support farmers/land managers to enhance their environmental habitats, including watercourses. More information about CSHT actions and how to apply can be found here.

For habitat strips next to watercourses, it is estimated that 550 kilometres of watercourse is protected by SFI action BFS6. A range of other buffering actions under schemes protects an additional 20,000 – 29,000 kilometres of watercourses.

The full response can be found here