Millions of pounds of fines imposed on water firms will fund environmental schemes to protect the country’s waterways after fears the money would be diverted to the Treasury.

The water restoration fund was set up by the Conservative government to ensure that polluting water firms paid for the damage they caused. The fund received £11m in fines and penalties from April 2022 to October 2023.

It was reported in January that the Treasury was looking to keep money earmarked for projects across the country. River trusts have submitted bids to improve and monitor the health of a number of rivers, including the River Derwent in Derbyshire and the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.