Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world and councillors says biodiversity in and around it has declined.

Local politicians have recognised the right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted.
 

Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge “the intrinsic rights” of the rivers within its boundaries, including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing.

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It means councillors and officials will have to keep the Test front and centre when making decisions on planning, land use, water management and biodiversity.

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Members of the Tory-led council promised to support efforts by citizens to monitor the Test and ask the UK government to publish an annual “state of the rivers” report to track progress in protecting river ecosystems.

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Geoff Cooper, a Liberal Democrat councillor who put forward the motion to recognise the Test’s rights, said rivers were one of the country’s greatest assets.

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He said: “It is our duty to protect those for future generations to come. It is not just sewage that endangers our rivers, there is the impact of road runoff, the impact of agriculture, the impact of planning and development. It is not just about pointing your fingers at the water company, it is all the factors that endanger our rivers.”

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There are only about 200 chalk streams in the world. The 39-mile Test is important for Atlantic salmon, while birds such as kingfishers, marsh harriers and little grebes live on and around it.