Water Cycle Studies Policy and Process: Environment Agency Perspective

Gerard Stewart, Policy Advisor, Sustainable

Communities (Environment Agency)

Outline

h Why do WCS? – Benefits & Policy

h What are they?

h Who’s involved?

h Where to find out more?

UK challenges; water environment

3 million new homes against backdrop of:

h Recent history of flooding – June/July 2007 & historical failure to “make space for water”

h Water ‘stress’ and recent history of drought

h Waste water treatment constraints

h Climate change

h Declining biodiversity

h Tightening standards eg PPS25 & Water Framework Directive

Emerging policy

Scale of Water and Environmental Infrastructure Needs – e.g. Corby

£72 millionTotal

£20 millionFlood Management –Developers Own Sites

£10.5 millionFlood Management –Strategic

£7.5 millionSewage Network

£21.5 millionSewage Treatment

£12.5 millionWater Supply

CostInfrastructure

How does a WCS help?

h Housing growth requires provision for environmental

infrastructure:

h Surface water drainage and flood risk management

h Water resources and supply systems

h Wastewater treatment and disposal

h WCS provide a collaborative, timely and

proportionate way to plan for this need

h WCS offers a means to plan efficiently and avoid

objections

WCS brings water into planning processh Planning and water cycle management processes work best together.

Scoping

Outline

Full

LDF & Core Strategy

Site Specific Proposals

Planning Applications

Application

Water Cycle Strategies

Planning System

Regional Spatial Strategy

Planning Body

Government Office

Local Authority

Local Authority

Local Authority

Links to other plans – flood risk

69 Water Cycle Studies Underway

or Completed

WCS Required:

•CLG Growth Point

condition

•Eco-town

•RSS / Core Strategy

requirement

h Residents

h Safe – flood risk to people and their property reduced

h Reliable water supply & sewage treatment

h Efficient provision - possibly reduced utility bills

h Local Planning Authority

h Helps ensure env and infrastructure constraints do not compromise development

h Evidence base for LDF and planning decisions

h Clarifies responsibilities & potential funding streams

h Water Company

h Evidence base for infrastructure investment (& case to OFWAT)

h Efficiency savings in infrastructure delivery through strategic planning

Who benefits?

h Environment Agency

h Water related constraints and opportunities identified

h Framework for compliance with environmental standards and govt policy

h Identifies infrastructure requirements, timing and costs

h Local Delivery Vehicle

h A clear understanding of infrastructure constraints to development

h A time line on infrastructure requirements and investment needs

h A basis for monitoring the progress of infrastructure investment and delivery agents

h Developers

h Avoidance of Environment Agency objections

h Certainty around planning and development timescales

h Mechanism for identifying reasonable planning obligations

Who benefits? (cont)

Web based guidance

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33368.aspx

h What, when, who and how

h ‘How to’ but not prescriptive eg use

‘anytown’ case studies

h Aimed principally at Local Authorities

but also EA, Water Cos & others

h Links with other plans and

programmes

h Statutory and policy ties

h Advice on funding opportunities

h Contacts and info sources

Summary

h WCS – for large scale housing development

h Collaborative, timely & proportionate

h Environmental Capacity

h Environmental Infrastructure Capacity

h Framework – links to other plans and evidence

h WCS Guidance

Any Questions?

gerard.stewart@environment-agency.gov.uk

WCS Guidancehttp://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33368.aspx