A new cross-party parliamentary group has been established to protect one of England’s most threatened natural habitats, with Oxfordshire’s rare chalk streams among the waterways at the centre of the campaign.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Chalk Streams was launched on 15 July, bringing together MPs and peers from across the political spectrum to push for greater recognition and legal protection for chalk streams ahead of the Government’s forthcoming Clean Water Bill.
The group is being supported by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), alongside Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, as part of the wider Wildlife Trusts’ Save Our Chalk Streams campaign.
Chalk streams are among the world’s rarest river habitats. Around 85% of the planet’s chalk streams are found in England, with these unique waterways created by groundwater filtering naturally through chalk bedrock to produce clear, nutrient-rich rivers that support a wide range of wildlife.
Among the species that depend on chalk streams are Atlantic salmon, water voles, kingfishers and a variety of aquatic plants and insects.
Several important chalk streams flow through Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties, including Letcombe Brook and Chalgrove Brook in Oxfordshire, as well as the Chess, Misbourne and Wye in Buckinghamshire and the Pang, Kennet and Lambourn in Berkshire.
‘Jewel in the crown’ of England’s waterways
Despite their international importance, many chalk streams currently have limited legal protection and remain vulnerable to pollution, agricultural impacts and falling water levels caused by unsustainable abstraction.
Campaigners have compared chalk streams to some of the world’s most important natural habitats, including coral reefs and rainforests, because of their rarity and the biodiversity they support.
However, environmental groups warn that sewage pollution, chemicals and agricultural run-off, alongside pressure on groundwater supplies, continue to threaten their future.
Holly Gray, Planning and Policy Officer at BBOWT and co-secretariat of the APPG on Chalk Streams, said the creation of the group represented an important opportunity to secure lasting change.
“Chalk streams should be the jewel in the crown of our waterways; a unique, internationally rare habitat we are lucky to have on our doorstep.”
She said that while local volunteers and community groups had achieved significant restoration work, ongoing pollution and water pressures continued to undermine those efforts.
Push for special protected status
The APPG is calling for a special designated status for chalk streams, which supporters say would recognise their unique environmental value and provide stronger legal protection.
The group will also campaign for wider reforms, including improved water planning, stronger regulation, changes to water extraction policies and greater support for local conservation groups and authorities.
Sarah Green MP, who represents Chesham and Amersham, has been appointed Chair of the APPG and said the group was intended to ensure chalk streams were included in future water legislation.
“It should not just be down to committed campaigners to protect these rivers. It needs a statutory underpinning, which is what we are here to build.”
The Government’s Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech in May 2026, has not yet been introduced to Parliament, giving campaigners and MPs an opportunity to influence its final content.
Oxfordshire waterways among those needing protection
For communities across Oxfordshire, the debate highlights growing concerns about the future of local rivers and streams.
Letcombe Brook, which flows through the Vale of White Horse, and Chalgrove Brook, in South Oxfordshire, are among the county’s chalk stream habitats where conservation groups have worked to improve biodiversity and water quality.
The new parliamentary group says it hopes to build support across Parliament and ensure chalk streams receive protection that reflects their global rarity.
