Guidance: Managing ash in woodlands in light of ash dieback: operations note 46

Nine page summary of how to manage ash in woodlands including:

  • context
  • background
  • practical advice
  • breeding H. fraxineus-tolerant ash
  • chemical control methods
  • increasing resilience of woodlands



Notice: Seasonal workers pilot: request for information

Updated: Added the clarification document which answers the questions parties were invited to send to Defra by 28 September 2018.

We’re requesting information from any organisation interested in operating a Seasonal Workers Pilot for 2019 and 2020 by Tuesday 17 October 2018. Defra will select 2 organisations from the responses to provide final proposals to the Home Office.

This document lays out the details of the pilot, our expectations for pilot operators, and sets out how we will consider responses.

The Seasonal Workers Pilot will allow recruitment of a limited number of temporary migrants for specific seasonal roles in the horticultural sector. The pilot will be managed by the Home Office under the Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) Seasonal Worker category.

The clarification questions and answers document sets out the answers to queries received by 28 September 2018.




Press release: Boaters reminded – register your vessel or pay the price

  • All were prosecuted for keeping their unregistered boats on the River Great Ouse
  • They’ve been ordered to pay more than £6,500
  • It brings the total of avoided registration charges recovered by the Agency to £129,000

Register your boat or face thousands of pounds in penalties – that’s the message from the Environment Agency for boat owners flouting the law.

The warning comes as 7 boaters have been forced to forfeit more than £6,500 between them for failing to register their vessels for use on the River Great Ouse.

Boat owners are legally required to register any vessel they keep, use, or let for hire on Environment Agency waterways, and to clearly display a valid registration plate. Not doing so can result in penalties including fines and a criminal record.

Lee Eastwood, residing on the Lowena Dew moored at Downham Market, Paul Dale of Tunstall Terrace in Darlington, Darren Beacroft of Mason Gardens in Kings Lynn, Paul Danahar of Ramsey Road in St Ives, Trevor Hewitt of Railway Road in Downham Market, Terry Whitnall of Pitmansfield in Harlow, and Jessica Ibbotson of Spencer Road in Bedford have each been given 28 days to pay up.

The cases were proved at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on 23 August, except for Mr Eastwood’s case which was proved at Kings Lynn on the same day, and Ms Ibbotson’s case which was proved at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 28 August.

Mr Eastwood was ordered to pay £608.79, Mr Dale £878.71, Mr Beacroft £472.49, Mr Danahar £978.98, Mr Whitnall £1,079.99, Ms Ibbotson £535.50, and Mr Hewitt – who owned 2 of the unregistered vessels – had to pay £1,990.99.

So far this year, the Environment Agency has recovered £129,000 in avoided registration charges – funds which are reinvested into maintaining, improving and protecting waterways.

Nathan Arnold, Waterways team leader at the Environment Agency, said:

Our waterways are part of our nation’s rich heritage and beauty, and they contribute to our environment, our health and wellbeing, and our economy.

But boaters who break the law by not registering their boats are putting the future of these historic and precious waterways at risk – so we won’t hesitate to take action against them.

As well as not contributing their fair share towards the upkeep of waterways, unregistered boats can be unsafe, hazardous to other river users and a pollution risk to the local environment and wildlife.

The Environment Agency looks after 353 miles of navigable waterways in the Anglian network, which includes the Ancholme, Black Sluice, Glen, Welland, Nene, Great Ouse and Stour, as well as associated locks and navigation facilities like moorings, showers and toilets.

More information about boating and waterways, including registering vessels, is available from the Environment Agency. If you suspect a boat is illegal, please contact the EA on 03708 506 506 or email waterways.enforcementanglian@environment-agency.gov.uk.




Notice: SY4 4JJ, David Davies Resources Ltd: environmental permit issued, EPR/ZP3033JP/V002

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

  • Operator name: David Davies Resources Ltd
  • Installation name: Wytheford House Farm
  • Permit number: EPR/ZP3033JP/V002



News story: Animal medicines improvement notice: Mallon Veterinary Practice

This notice was issued to Mallon Veterinary Practice as the veterinary practice is not registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as a veterinary practice premise, contrary to Schedule 3, Paragraph 8 (1) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR).

The improvements required are:

  • the premises must be registered with the RCVS as a veterinary practice premise
  • evidence of registration must be provided to the VMD