A wildlife trust has joined forces with 215 local councillors to protect chalk streams.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the councillors have sent an open letter to the Government, urging for stronger protections for these streams in planning policy.

This comes after reports that the Government has shelved the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack, an initiative to protect these habitats.

The letter calls for the designation of chalk streams and their catchments with bespoke protection in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

The councillors believe these measures are essential to protect some of the world's rarest ecosystems, many of which are in Hampshire.

Debbie Tann MBE, chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: "It's incredibly encouraging to see local councillors putting party politics aside and coming together in a united commitment to protect our precious chalk streams.

"The future of chalk streams, however, hangs in the balance.

"Without specific, robust protections embedded into planning policy, we risk these irreplaceable and fragile habitats being damaged or even destroyed."

Councillor George Percival, Southampton City councillor for Shirley, said: "Water companies have underinvested in infrastructure and are consequently dumping thousands of hours’ worth of sewage into these precious habitats each year.

"There's a danger that our rivers will be stripped of the wildlife that makes them so brilliant."

Councillor Thomas Gravatt, Southampton City councillor for Swaythling, added: "Hampshire's beautiful chalk streams contain significant biodiversity and are an important part of our natural environment.

"Southampton would be difficult to imagine without the Test and Itchen, but reckless sewage dumping has put them ecologically at risk."

With only 15 per cent of UK rivers in good ecological health, chalk streams are in a perilous state.

They have suffered decades of pollution, overuse, and neglect.

The Government’s decision to shelve the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack has sparked widespread concern.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Save Our Chalk Streams Campaign has rallied significant public and cross-sector support to date.

For more information about the Save Our Chalk Streams Campaign, visit hiwwt.org.uk.