In November 2025, Buckinghamshire Council unanimously passed a cross-party motion on protecting Buckinghamshire’s chalk streams. The motion, brought forward by Cabinet Member for the environment, Cllr Ade Osibogun and seconded by Cllr David Moore, recognises the international importance of chalk streams and commits the council to protect and restore them. 

The motion seeks to do this by: 

• Committing the council’s emerging Local Plan for Buckinghamshire has due regard to:
  • The Chilterns Chalk Streams Planning Guidance and in particular will implement specific policy recommendations from the Guidance including more efficient water use to tackle over-abstraction and bigger buffers between development and chalk streams to prevent physical damage and reduce pollution.
  • The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, particularly focusing on Priority 10 – Conserve, Enhance and Restore chalk streams.
• Working closely with key partners such as BBOWT, the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, River Thame Conservation Trust, the various Catchment Partnerships and others, to promote awareness and protection.
• Requesting the cabinet writes to DEFRA and local water companies, urging action on tighter regulations on abstraction and further investment in water infrastructure
• Ensuring that the actions from this motion and any subsequent policy implementation remain consistent with future legislative developments

There are fewer than 300 chalk streams in the world, yet around 80% are found in the south of England. Buckinghamshire is lucky enough to be home to many chalk streams including the iconic Chess, Misbourne, and Wye. However, it wasn’t any these of these more well-known rivers that were the inspiration behind the motion, but rather the much smaller and unassuming Alderbourne. 

While not many people may have heard of the Alderbourne, the stream is cherished by those who have. In fact, many locals volunteer to help Colne Valley Regional Park and South Bucks Wombles litter-pick and clear up. Often, removing multiple van loads of abandoned waste polluting the river, from general rubbish to large broken car parts. 

One of these locals, passionate about the Alderbourne, was Councillor David Moore. Inspired by BBOWT’s Save Our Chalk Streams campaign work, Cllr Moore got in touch with us last summer to express his support and to find out what more he could do for his community’s chalk stream. 

After lots of conversations and suggestions, the idea that stuck out to Cllr Moore the most was a Chalk Stream motion. At this time, Basingstoke Council had recently passed their Rights of our Rivers (Chalk Streams) motion. Since then, momentum has been growing across England as more and more local councils pass motions for stronger protections for chalk streams and rivers. 

I supported Cllr Moore with the drafting the initial wording and recommendations that he used to take the idea to the cabinet. Interested in the proposal, the cabinet and cross-party councillors put together the final version of the motion, which has now been adopted. 

To celebrate this success, Cllr Moore and I invited Colne Valley Regional Park, the Chilterns Chalk Stream Project, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Jaspal Chhokar, the South Bucks Wombles and a few local volunteers to get together where it all started, the Alderbourne. 

On a snowy early January day, the representatives from the various groups shared how they had played their part to help the stream. 

Some helped by getting their hands dirty (and soggy!), like Matthew Mountain from Groundwork, who manage the Colne Valley Regional Park, led the removal of the damaging invasive species, American Skunk Cabbage, that had completely taken over the stream. Matthew is also in near constant battle with the relentless rubbish and pollution that ends up in the river, no matter how many litter-picks he does with locals. Therefore, he and his team are putting together a strategy for the Alderbourne as a whole, working alongside landowners in the catchment, to deliver longer-term solutions and restoration. 

Others helped indirectly, like Steph Horn who worked on the Chilterns Chalk Streams Planning Guidance, a detailed resource on protecting chalk streams in planning and development decisions, recently developed by the Chiltern Chalk Stream Project, Chess Smarter Water Catchment Project and Chilterns National Landscape with input from over 20 stakeholders. The guidance also now plays a key role in the motion as the council now must take the advice into account when developing the Local Plan and in turn future planning decisions. 

The meeting captured the collaboration and hard work behind the scenes that made the Buckinghamshire Chalk Stream Motion possible. 

Cllr David Moore, Buckinghamshire Councillor for Farnham Common and Burnham Beeches, said, “This motion will protect not just the Alderbourne but all the chalk streams in Buckinghamshire to make sure they support they need. To the best of our knowledge, Buckinghamshire is the first unitary authority to adopt a dedicated pro–chalk stream motion of this kind. It was great to reach out to BBOWT after I saw their campaign and thought let’s work together because it’s a team effort at the end of the day. It was great to hear that BBOWT was campaigning for MPs to support chalk stream amendments and legislation. It’s an uphill battle. There’s a lot of work to be done at a Parliamentary level but as grassroots efforts grow, it starts here with action here on the ground. I’m really thankful for the trust for their support and suggestions, just as with the Chilterns Society and Chilterns National Landscape.” 

Steph Horn, Chess Smarter Water Catchment Project Coordinator at Chilterns Chalk Stream Project, said, “Back in 2024, the Chilterns National Landscape team, decided they wanted to produce some planning guidance around chalk streams. It has lots of information in about how to manage chalk streams, how to look after the environment and the special characteristics of them. It’s really fabulous to see the guidance adopted in 2025 by Buckinghamshire Council and embedded in their recently passed Chalk Stream Motion.”

Matthew Moutain, Senior Project Manager at Groundwork (who manage the Colne Valley Regional Park), said, “Our involvement with the Alderbourne began because of American Skunk Cabbage an invasive plant that replaces all the wildlife and leads to other problems in the river like silt build up. When we were down here meeting the landowners and local community and saw how together they all were around this unique chalk stream, we saw the opportunity to do something wider and put a full river plan together to tackle the various challenges. We’ve already had great support and involvement from local councillors, landowners, the community, parish councils all the way up to [Buckinghamshire] county council so hopefully over the next year we can prioritise what needs to be done and what realistically we can do.” 

Feeling inspired? 

It’s always great to know BBOWT's campaigning is resonating with people but it was a highlight when Cllr Moore got in touch in response to the Save Our Chalk Streams campaign. Councils, like Buckinghamshire, and local people and community groups, are not waiting for the Government, they’re doing it themselves and when enough people do this and become the majority, the Government will have to catch up with everyone else and finally legally protect all chalk streams across the country. 

I’m excited to keep fighting for chalk streams and I know everyone else we’re working with are too. I hope to hear from some more local councillors in our patch who may be feeling inspired to do something similar with their own council.

If you want your council to do more to protect chalk streams near you, contact your councillor and ask them to consider prosing a Chalk Stream or River Rights Motion for you council, or including policies that would help chalk streams in the local plan. 

You can find out who your local councillor is here: 

Find your local councillors

If you’re a councillor who would like to find out more about what councils can do to help local chalk streams including motions and/or local plan policies, please get in touch at publicaffairs@bbowt.org.uk