Alexandra Wales - 21-Feb-2007 - Sheep dipping and animal
health will come under the spotlight in Northumberland this
month when farmers are invited to find out more about how
their work can affect the environment.
The Environment Agency and the Northumberland National
Park Authority are working together with local vets and
agricultural consultancy LSSC to help farmers identify the
risks posed by sheep dipping operations on their farms.
Thousands of sheep are dipped every year in Northumberland
and Durham to prevent diseases such as sheep scab and the
chemicals used are highly toxic and can have a devastating
effect on wildlife and water quality if it gets into rivers
and streams.
The health and welfare of sheep flocks are threatened by
ecto-parasites such as mites, lice, flies, keds and ticks,
and sheep dipping is the main method of controlling this.
The sheep dipping and animal health project has already
paid for veterinary health plans and risk assessments of
dipping facilities and equipment on farms in the area.
Farmers in the River Till catchment within Northumberland
National Park will be meeting at the Ryecroft Hotel in Wooler
on 27 February to learn more.
Speakers at the seminar include Spence Seaman national
policy advisor at the Environment Agency, Jo Gidlow, Veterinarian
at the Northumbria Veterinary Partnership and Neil Sargison,
senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh Large Animal
Practice.
Lydia Nixon, the Environment Agency’s catchment sensitive
farming officer said: “The seminar is an opportunity for
farmers to find out more about environmental risk. We have
many good quality rivers in this region and we want to maintain
this high standard.”
Mary Gough, Northumberland National Park Authority’s farming
officer said: “We are delighted how positively the farmers
and veterinary practices in the project area have worked
with us. This seminar provides a good opportunity to find
out more about sheep dip pollution issues and to discuss
best practice techniques.
“We hope that in the future we will be able to extend the
work undertaken through this project to farms in other parts
of the National Park.”
The River Till catchment is part of the England Catchment
Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI).
From April 1, farmers will be able to apply for grant aid
from the ECSFDI to carry out improvements to their sheep
dipping facilities.
Ends
Notes to editors
The River Till catchment is part of the England Catchment
Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) which covers
40 priority catchments in England.
The area covered by this part of the project is the northern
part of Northumberland National Park which falls within
the River Till Catchment. It includes the College, Harthope
and Breamish valleys.
£14,000 was awarded by the ECSFDI via the Environment
Agency to Northumberland National Park Authority who have
administered this part of the project. This money has been
used to carry out 30 veterinary health plans and risk assess
the sheep dipping facilities on the farms within the project
area.
Environment Agency award £500 million construction
framework contract
Head Office Press Office - 14-Feb-2007 - The Environment
Agency has awarded its £500 million National Contractor
Framework for flood defence, waterways and water resources
capital works programme.
Nikki Brown, NCF2 Project Manager, said more than 70 contractors
had expressed interest in the new framework, with 13 being
shortlisted.
"The final seven contractors have been selected based
on their ability to meet our requirements on quality and
price. This will ensure that they are best placed to succeed
in the challenge of delivering a diverse programme of work
which includes watercourse maintenance programmes and river
and coastal engineering works.
"This second generation contract, which will take
effect from 1 April 2007 for four years, will support the
delivery of the Environment Agency’s Engineering Procurement
Strategy. The emphasis remains on value for money, programme
management, health and safety and sustainable construction
within a competitive environment."
The seven contractors are Jackson Civil Engineering, Morrison
Construction Services Ltd, Volker Stevin Ltd, Team Van Oord,
Birse Civils Ltd, Interserve Project Services Ltd and Westminster
Dredging/ Dean and Dyball.