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<p>The Government has been working to understand the nitrogen pollution problems in
the Solent, the impacts on housing delivery and the options for enabling growth whilst
avoiding harm to important protected sites. In September, we announced £3.9 million
of funding to pilot a nutrient trading process to secure nature-based solutions to
nitrate pollution across the Solent area. We have also made a loan offer of up to
£5.7 million to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to deliver mitigation
to unlock stalled planning applications.</p><p>We are aware of the challenges faced
through nutrient pollution and are seeking to address the most common sources of polluting
nutrients to water. Agriculture is now the most significant source of pollution in
our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is using a package of measures to combat
this, including Catchment Sensitive Farming, regulation and incentives. We will use
the flexibility achieved by leaving the EU to replace Common Agricultural Policy subsidies
(CAP) with an Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme through the Agriculture Act
2020 which will pay farmers for taking action to reduce pollution and restore habitats
which go beyond regulatory requirements. <br> <br>This Government remains committed
to bringing at least three quarters of our waters to as close as possible to their
natural state as soon as is practicable. In support of this, a further legally binding
target is being brought forward as part of the target setting processes set out in
DEFRA’s Environment Bill. The Environment Bill will place a statutory requirement
on water companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans, and we will
continue to press water companies to protect both people and the environment.</p>
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