NEW guidance has been published to help water companies cut pollution incidents and improve the health of rivers and waterways across Wales.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued the guidance jointly with the Environment Agency in England, setting out how companies must meet new legal duties under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025.

From April 1, 2026, all water companies operating in Wales and England will be legally required to publish Pollution Incident Reduction Plans. These plans must explain how companies will reduce pollution from their assets and protect the water environment.

The plans will need to identify all potential pollution sources within a company’s network, assess environmental risks, and set clear, measurable targets for reducing incidents. Companies will be required to follow the new guidance, which details the mandatory elements each plan must include.

From 2027, water companies will also have to publish annual Implementation Reports. These will assess how far they have succeeded — or failed — in delivering the measures set out in their plans.

Both the plans and the annual reports will be reviewed every year by Natural Resources Wales, and by the Environment Agency for companies operating in England, to monitor progress and compliance.

The joint guidance has been published on the Welsh Government website.

Becky Favager, Head of Regulation and Permitting at Natural Resources Wales, said the new requirements would strengthen oversight of the water sector.

She said: “As Wales’s regulator, we welcome the introduction of these new legal requirements, which require water companies to develop robust plans to reduce pollution incidents.

“Pollution Incident Reduction Plans and Implementation Reports require companies to identify the root causes of pollution, outline clear actions and report on progress year-on-year.

“They provide us with another tool to hold the sector to account and increase transparency, while accelerating action to reduce sewage spills and improve the health of our waters in Wales.”

The Deputy First Minister with responsibility for climate change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said the plans were designed to improve accountability and environmental outcomes.

He said: “These Pollution Incident Reduction Plans are about transparency and accountability. This is an important step forward in holding water companies to account and ensuring they take clear, consistent and evidence-based action to prevent water pollution.

“The health of our rivers and waterways is vital to Wales’s environment, communities and wildlife. We expect water companies to identify the causes of pollution, take action, and report annually on their progress. Our rivers and waterways deserve nothing less.”

NRW said the introduction of the plans and annual reports supports its wider work to regulate and improve the performance of the water sector in Wales. The regulator confirmed it will continue to take enforcement action where pollution incidents occur or where companies fail to meet their legal obligations.

ACTOR Martin Clunes is to take on the role of disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards in a new factual drama examining one of the most damaging scandals in British broadcasting history.

The two-part series, provisionally titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, will air on Channel 5 and will chart Edwards’ rise to prominence, his fall from grace, and the events that culminated in his conviction and suspended prison sentence.

Clunes, best known for his long-running role in Doc Martin, is depicted in character wearing a black suit and silver watch, seated in a newsroom studio with papers spread before him as journalists work in the background. The production aims to recreate the atmosphere of Britain’s flagship television news at the height of Edwards’ career.

Edwards began his broadcasting career in Wales before becoming one of the most recognisable and highest-paid presenters at the BBC, fronting News at Ten for decades. During that time, he delivered some of the most significant moments in recent British history, including coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

His career ended in disgrace following a series of revelations that emerged in July 2023, when a newspaper report alleged that a senior BBC presenter had paid a teenager for sexual images. Days later, Edwards’ wife publicly identified him as the individual at the centre of the allegations. He resigned from the BBC in April 2024.

In June 2024, after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police, Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, linked to WhatsApp exchanges with a man named Alex Williams. He pleaded guilty the following month, admitting to possessing forty-one images, including seven of the most serious category.

Edwards received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

Channel 5 said the drama will explore how the scandal unfolded and will feature interviews with journalists who first reported the story, as well as those involved in investigating the case. The series will be directed by Michael Samuels, known for acclaimed British dramas including The Windermere Children and Any Human Heart.

Ben Frow, Channel 5’s chief content officer, said the programme would examine “how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status,” adding that it would focus on “the human cost behind the headlines.”

The drama is expected to reignite debate about accountability, safeguarding and power within British broadcasting, and marks the first major scripted portrayal of the Edwards scandal since his conviction.

A £180,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped bring a new eco-friendly tourism development to life overlooking the River Teifi in Cardigan.

Fronteifi Nature Lodges, created by husband-and-wife team Tim and Julia Percival, opened this autumn and offers high-quality, accessible and environmentally responsible accommodation designed to support the local visitor economy.

Having moved to Cardigan in January 2022, Tim, a retired architect, and Julia, who continues to work in social housing, set out to transform their 2.5-acre site into a small-scale, nature-led destination inspired by the surrounding Teifi Marshes.

Following full planning consent in 2023, the couple developed two five-star timber-framed lodges, alongside a garage with loft apartment, landscaped grounds, guest pathways and new drainage infrastructure. While most of the construction was self-funded, the £180,000 loan from the Development Bank’s Wales Tourism Fund supported completion of the Seren loft apartment and the final phase of hard landscaping and guest facilities.

The project has been delivered with a strong emphasis on sustainability and social value. Local tradespeople and specialist contractors were used throughout, while independent businesses from the surrounding area supplied furnishings, artwork, tree planting, ecological consultancy and guest services.

A wide range of low-carbon technologies has been incorporated, including photovoltaic panels, EV charging points, air-source heat pumps, sheep’s wool insulation, ground-screw foundations, eco stoves and sedum (green) roofs. Materials from existing buildings on site were reused wherever possible, and more than 35 new trees have been planted to enhance biodiversity and carbon capture.

The development aligns with sustainable tourism priorities set by Ceredigion County Council and has also benefited from a £50,000 Cynnal y Cardi grant, supported through the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Accessibility has been central to the design. The Tir and Afon lodges offer level access throughout, step-free entrances, level-access showers, and clear orientation features for guests with mobility or visual needs. Wheelchair-friendly pathways lead to a riverside deck and a purpose-built bird hide, Bwthyn Adar, overlooking the Teifi and its wildlife.

Fronteifi Nature Lodges can accommodate up to 12 guests across the two lodges and the Seren loft apartment, targeting visitors seeking modern, luxurious and sustainable accommodation in west Wales.

Each lodge features open-plan living areas, adjustable beds, digital access, luxury bathrooms, outdoor kitchens, hot tubs and welcome hampers showcasing seasonal local produce. The business also holds fishing rights on the Teifi and is listed with Canopy and Stars, connecting the site to audiences seeking high-end, nature-focused stays.

Julia Percival, co-founder of Fronteifi Nature Lodges, said: “The support from the Development Bank has enabled us to complete the final phase of the project while staying true to our environmental and community principles. We’re proud to have worked with so many local businesses and to offer guests the chance to experience the natural beauty of the Teifi Valley.”

David Knight, investment executive at the Development Bank of Wales, added: “Fronteifi Nature Lodges is a great example of a locally driven tourism project that combines sustainability, accessibility and community benefit. It aligns closely with the aims of the Wales Tourism Fund in supporting distinctive, high-quality destinations across Wales.”

The Wales Tourism Investment Fund is a £50 million fund, financed by the Welsh Government, offering loans between £100,000 and £5 million to support standout tourism projects that demonstrate innovation, sustainability and a commitment to the Economic Contract.