'Wife' of river persuades councillors to protect it

Councillors have voted unanimously to take more action to protect a famous river following a campaign spearheaded by a woman who "married" the waterway three years ago.

Researcher and performance poet Meg Avon staged a wedding to the River Avon in 2023 to raise awareness of pollution and rapidly declining biodiversity.

She and campaign group We Are Avon persuaded Bath and North East Somerset Council to this month endorse a charter recognising the river's right to thrive, flow sustainably and not be polluted.

Speaking at a full council meeting, Avon said: "Recognising these rights is not a radical act. Humans and nature are not separate, we are together."

We Are Avon is now hoping all councils along the 83-mile river will follow suit, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Among the other rights listed on the charter are the "right to biodiversity integrity", meaning the river's native species must be given support to thrive.

It also states it has the "right to representation and advocacy," meaning there must be "active and influential voices" speaking up for it.

We Are Avon has so far recruited 120 river guardians to monitor the waterway and 260,000 acres of the surrounding landscape.

Tabling the motion to protect the River Avon, Liberal Democrat councillor Andy Wait, said: "I expect all councils - unitary, town, and parish - to adopt this charter from the source to the sea."

The resolution passed by the council is intended to cover the wider river area, including tributaries, and other issues such as agricultural runoff and industrial pollution as well as water companies' sewage dumping.

The meeting heard from East Harptree mum Daisy Thompson, who said the nearby water recycling centre had discharged into the small brook near her house.

The brook leads into Chew River, which itself leads into the Avon.

"I certainly don't let my children go into the river any more," Thompson said.

As well as adopting the charter, the motion calls on the council to urgently review what measures it can take to improve water quality and biodiversity in the river and its tributaries.

It also calls on the council leader to set up regular meetings with water companies to hold them to account for discharges of untreated sewage into the river.

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