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Help us Protect Chalk Streams

River Wylye, WWT

Wiltshire is home to a range of beautiful and critically important chalk streams. From the crystal-clear waters of the River Wylye to the globally renowned River Kennet and the Hampshire Avon, our county holds a significant portion of the world’s total chalk stream habitat.

For the first time, these rivers have been explicitly mentioned in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This is a welcome step, but mentions are not protections. We need more than just examples; we need a legal shield.

For the first time ever, chalk streams have been explicitly mentioned in the draft of England’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This document is the rulebook for how and where we build, and seeing our rivers named within it is a huge milestone.

This progress is the direct result of the Save Our Chalk Campaign - a collaborative effort between Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxon, London, Norfolk and Wiltshire Wildlife Trusts, together with the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. It is through Wiltshire Wildlife Trust members and supporters who have written to MPs, signed petitions, and stood up for our precious local waters. To those of you who have taken action for chalk streams - thank you. 

While we welcome this recognition, the current draft falls short of the recognition the Government promised. Right now, chalk streams are used as mere examples in the text. This lacks the legal founding needed to stop inappropriate development from damaging these fragile ecosystems.

In Wiltshire, we know the pressure our rivers are under. From sewage, chemical pollution, flooding and development, our streams are being damaged daily. We don't need them to be examples—we need them to be protected.

Clear River Wylye chalk stream with river weeds and pebbles

We are calling on the Government to classify chalk streams as irreplaceable habitats. In the planning world, this status is the gold standard. It’s the same protection afforded to ancient woodlands. This status would mean:

  • Stronger Protections: Development is not allowed to destroy or damage the habitat unless there are wholly exceptional reasons.
  • Recognition of Rarity: It acknowledges that once a chalk stream is degraded, it is impossible to recreate it elsewhere.

With 85% of the world's chalk streams found in England - and a significant portion of those right here in Wiltshire - we have a national and global duty to protect them. Currently, only 11 out of over 200 British chalk streams have any legal protections, and even these fall short of the measures needed to protect these rivers.

How You Can Help

Speak up for Wiltshire’s waters! We’ve made it easy for you. Use our simple e-action template to submit your response to the consultation to the Government. It takes two minutes, but it could protect our rivers for the next century.

The consultation for the NPPF closes on 10 March 2026. 

Submit your reponse. 

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