Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support landowners with riparian rights.

Working with partners and stakeholders, the Environment Agency (EA) published new guidance for riparian landowners in 2024 on Your Watercourse: rights and roles.

This new, easily accessible guidance aims to increase riparian landowners understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The guidance is assisting local teams in raising public awareness at events and during in person conversations with riparian owners. Information is also available on GOV.UK on both riparian ownership, maintenance and permitting.

The EA has also delivered learning sessions with regional advisors from the National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association, allowing them to better advise their members on riparian responsibilities.

Some works by riparian owners may require a formal permission from the relevant authority before they can be carried out. This is to ensure that impacts on flood risk, land drainage and the environment can be managed. Information about this is also available on GOV.UK.