Credit: Neil Howard / Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0

Test Valley Borough Council now recognises rivers as vital, living ecosystems deserving of legal rights and stronger protection from pollution, development, over-abstraction, and habitat degradation.

A similar motion was passed by Southampton City Council earlier this month in relation to the River Itchen.

Both motions draw inspiration from the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers, which outlines key rights such as the right to flow freely, the right to be free from pollution, and the right to regenerate.

Lorna Selby of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: “The passing of river rights motions in both Southampton and Test Valley reflects a growing recognition that our rivers, and particularly our rare chalk streams, deserve stringent legal recognition and protection.

“We warmly welcome these motions and look forward to continuing our work with councils to ensure our precious waterways are protected and restored.”

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is backing a petition calling on the UK government to grant legal personhood to rivers and rias in England.