Somerset river granted rights in major local conservation push
A rural Somerset river has been granted rights as part of a major local push towards increasing biodiversity and cutting pollution
A rural Somerset river has been granted rights as part of a major local push towards increasing biodiversity and cutting pollution.
The River Brue begins in Brewham near Bruton and flows over the Somerset Levels, separating Glastonbury and Street, before reaching the Bristol Channel at Highbridge.
Numerous efforts have been made over the last decade to improve the river and access to it, with the Somerset River Authority (SRA) carrying out extensive modelling and working closely with landowners to agree proposed enhancements.
Glastonbury Town Council has now passed the River Brue Charter, which grants the river six fundamental rights – making it easier for secure funding and other resources for future projects.
The charter was borne out of Living Brue Day, a public event sponsored by the town council which was staged in late-March.
The event brought together local people, campaigners and organisations concerned with the condition and future of the River Brue and its wider catchment.
Speakers included environmental barrister Paul Powlesland of Lawyers for Nature and Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke , alongside representatives from Wessex Water, the National Farmers’ Union, Reimagining the Levels, the Somerset Eel Recovery Project, Surfers Against Sewage and the Brue Crew.
The charter – which was unanimously ratified by the full council on September 8 – grants the following rights to the river:
The right to flow, and follow its natural course as far as possible
The right to perform essential functions within its ecosystem
The right to be free from pollution
The right to feed and be fed by sustainable aquifers
The right to native biodiversity
The right to regeneration and restoration.
The charter is designed to complement the climate emergency declared by Somerset Council in 2019 and the climate and ecological emergency declared by the town council the same year.
The town council said it “forms the basis for a relationship based on guardianship and ecological justice between the River Brue and its communities, for the benefit of all present and future generations”.
Freshwater species populations in UK rivers have declined by as much as 85 per cent since 1970, and many species are listed as ‘at risk’.
Numerous other rivers across the world have already been granted similar rights built on the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Rivers – including the River Wye in Wales, the River Tone in Somerset and the River Char and River Lym in Dorset.
Glastonbury Town Council said it had taken great inspiration from the River Char Action Group, which passed its own charter in 2025 following extensive community input.
A spokesperson said: “The charter sits alongside practical work on the river.
“Local volunteers carry out water-quality monitoring and investigate pollutants, while the group works with other organisations and neighbouring river groups on the condition of west Dorset’s waterways.
“River groups from across Dorset have met to explore the possibility of developing shared principles for the county’s rivers, with the longer-term ambition of creating a Charter for the Rivers of Dorset.
“This provides an interesting model for the Brue. Rivers cross parish and council boundaries, and their condition depends upon decisions made throughout their catchments.
“Cooperation between communities along the length of a river can therefore give a charter considerably greater reach.”
In addition to ecological and environmental work to improve the river, the charter also opens up possibility for enhancing public access to the riverbank and nearby green spaces.
The river is accessible from a public footpath to the west of Pomparles Bridge, which runs along the right bank as far as Porchestall Drove.
Pedestrians can subsequently follow Back River Drove to pick up the Willow Walk (which has been enhanced through the Glastonbury town deal) or follow National Cycle Network route 3 towards the Avalon Marshes nature reserves.
Following the passage of the charter, Glastonbury Town Council is seeking to work with other town and parish councils responsible for the areas through which the Brue flows.
To get involved, or for more information, email [email protected].
A spokesperson added: “Adopting the River Brue Charter gives councils and communities a clear framework for supporting the long-term health of the river.
“As more parishes along the Brue consider signing up, the charter also has the potential to create a shared approach across the wider catchment.
“The charter creates a clear shared commitment to protect and restore the River Brue, gives councils along the river a common set of principles for decision-making, encourages cooperation between communities upstream and downstream, supports improved water quality, biodiversity and habitat restoration, and provides a stronger basis for future partnerships, projects and funding.
“The more widely the charter is adopted, the more useful it can become as a common reference point for communities along the Brue, helping to support coordinated action for the river’s future.”