Since the FRfW (Farming Rules for Water) were introduced, the EA, and more recently the law courts, have adopted a stringent interpretation of regulation four, around planning nutrient applications.
The Statutory Guidance was introduced to help manage the impacts of this interpretation on farmers and the environment and is highly valued by many.
Defra had always planned to review the document by September 2025, but under pressure from the Office for Environmental Protection, it began a rapid review last month.
The NFU, and other key stakeholders, were only given two weeks to feed in comments but we managed to consult members widely and deliver the following key messages.
We are now preparing for a range of potential outcomes from this review and will keep members up to date on next steps.