Shipley MP urges Environment Agency action over Yorkshire Water failures

Anna Dixon MP for Shipley, has this week written to the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency urging them to conduct a full assessment of pollution incidents affecting the River Aire and River Wharfe.

The MP’s demands come after Yorkshire Water's admission last month that it was responsible for 260 pollution incidents across the region in the last financial year - a 72% increase on the previous year.

Ms Dixon’s letter to Philip Duffy follows earlier correspondence to Yorkshire Water chief executive Nicola Shaw in which she expressed anger at the company's performance as it braces to be downgraded from a two-star to a one-star rating in the Environment Agency's own Environmental Performance Assessment, due to be published in October.

In her letter to the EA, Anna Dixon MP said: “I am writing to you today regarding Yorkshire Water's newly published 2025/26 annual results, which confirm the company was responsible for 260 pollution incidents in the last financial year. This represents a 72% increase over the 151 incidents recorded the previous year, averaging five incidents per week.

“As the Member of Parliament for the Shipley constituency, I represent communities in Saltaire, Baildon and Bingley, through which the River Aire flows, and Burley-in-Wharfedale, through which the River Wharfe flows. I am deeply concerned about the state of both rivers and would like to seek the Environment Agency's assessment of this situation and to request action.

“I am angered by Yorkshire Water’s continued deteriorating performance, and I understand that their Environmental Performance Assessment is set to be downgraded to one-star.”

Ms Dixon went on to ask the EA to confirm:

A timetable for publication of the full assessment and whether the Agency's own data agrees with the scale of decline set out in Yorkshire Water’s results.

The Agency's records of pollution incidents in the River Aire and River Wharfe catchments over the last financial year.

What enforcement action, if any, is the Agency taking or considering against Yorkshire Water beyond the £88.8 million Ofwat fine already levied for missed outcome delivery targets.

What real-time monitoring the Agency has of discharges into the River Aire and River Wharfe within the Shipley constituency, and if this information available to the public.