A Powys councillor has called for urgent action to address what he describes as “arbitrary” and “damaging” restrictions on livestock movements between England and Wales due to the Bluetongue virus.

Cllr Geoff Morgan (Reform UK, Ithon Valley) has submitted a cross-party motion to the next full meeting of Powys County Council, seconded by Cllr Ed Jones (Powys Independents, Old Radnor), urging the Welsh Government to review its current policy.

Under new rules, from July 1, livestock from any part of England - now classed as a Bluetongue Restricted Zone (RZ) - will only be allowed into Wales following a negative pre-movement test, even if vaccinated.

Cllr Morgan said the policy was hitting cross-border farmers in Powys hard, including tenants on the council’s own Farms Estate, many of whom rely on seasonal livestock movements for breeding and grazing.

“Farmers across Powys, especially those with land on both sides of the border, are being severely impacted by arbitrary rules that prevent them from moving livestock between fields on the same farm - while livestock can still legally travel the length of England from Cornwall to Cumbria,” he said.

“This is not a zoonotic disease, it poses no threat to the food chain, and cannot be passed from animal to animal. The science and the situation on the ground simply do not justify the current level of disruption.”

The motion highlights the unique challenges faced by Welsh border farms, with more than 550 cross-border operations and tens of thousands of Welsh ewes overwintered in England. It also points to concerns around vaccine availability, testing capacity, and the lack of compensation for affected businesses.

Last week, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, said the decision was based on veterinary advice and industry input.

“Although livestock moves to live will be permitted with a negative premovement test, we will have time to monitor the effects of Bluetongue in livestock dense areas of England and crucially, additional time for Welsh keepers to vaccinate their animals against the disease,” he said.

He added that the government would keep the policy “under regular review” and acknowledged the concerns of industry groups about the cost and logistics of compliance.

However, Cllr Morgan’s motion argues that the current restrictions are “impractical, unworkable, and damaging to cross-border farming operations” and calls on the council chairman to write to the Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs, urging an urgent review of the current restrictions and a coordinated UK-wide response. It also asks for future decisions to be based on veterinary evidence and practical needs, highlights the impact on Powys County Council’s Farms Estate tenants, and seeks an update on plans for testing, vaccination, and compensation.