Climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers and heavier rainfall in the winter - with significant impacts on arable yields and livestock production.

To protect food security, the farming industry says more reservoirs are needed to ensure water can be taken during high river flows in winter, to be stored for use at times of shortage.

But the process is slow and costly, with the main barriers identified as getting planning permission for reservoir construction, and abstraction licences to take water to fill it.

Industry leaders have called for a series of government actions, including streamlining the planning system and introducing a dedicated permitted development right (PDR) for farm reservoirs - making it quicker and easier for farmers to build water storage.

Other policy demands include a review of the........

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