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.