Farmers are being urged to check if they are in a designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) ahead of the first appeal deadline next week.
The first tranche of NVZ designation letters, for the North West, Solway Tweed, Dee and Severn, were sent earlier this month. The deadline to lodge an appeal is Tuesday 31 January.
Farmers are being asked to check Environment Agency maps to review their designation and to contact them if they haven’t received notification.
Designation letters for the second group (Anglian, Thames, South East and South West) should be received within the next few days, with an appeal deadline of Monday 20 February.
Minette Batters, NFU Deputy President, said: “NVZ designations are only reviewed every four years, so it’s vitally important to check if you’re in one.
“We are concerned that some designation notice letters may have got lost or sent to the wrong address. That’s why we’re urging our members to check the maps. If they haven’t had a letter they should contact the Environment Agency right away.”
Letters for the third tranche, Northumbria and Humber regions, will be sent on or around 20 February, with an appeal deadline of Monday 20 March.
Appeals to Defra can only be submitted if land does not drain into water identified as polluted or if land drains into water that should not be identified as polluted.
