Decision details

The purpose of this decision is to agree the  response to the emerging Water Resources Regional Plan for Eastern England, set out at Appendix 1 to this decision.

Water Resources East (WRE) are carrying out consultation on the emerging Water Resources Regional Plan between 17^th January and 28^th February 2022.  WRE are planning for sustainable and resilient water resources for the next 50 years and beyond.  The Water Resources Management Plans produced by the water companies in this region will need to be in line with the Regional Plan.

For further information, see the emerging Regional Plan, the non-technical summary and the WRE press release.

The Regional Plan will be a key document for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan.  In the First Proposals, the Councils were clear that the preferred option for growth was contingent on there being evidence as the plan progresses that an adequate water supply would be available to meet the development needs identified without unacceptable environmental harm.  Therefore, it is important that the Councils put forward their views on the emerging Regional Plan and the potential solutions to providing water supply in the future.

This is the first consultation on the regional plan.  It sets out the scale of the water deficit in the region and the reasons for this, which relate to growth, climate change, the needs of the agri-food and energy sectors, and an increasing allocation for the natural environment.  The plan focuses on:

·         Demand management including reducing leakage and per capita consumption.

·         New sources of water supply including large infrastructure options (>10 Megalitres/day (Ml/d)) such as reservoirs, transfer, desalination, effluent re-use.

·         ‘Local’ non-water company and smaller (<10Ml/d) water company infrastructure projects and schemes.

·         Possible water innovations and exemplars which could be supported or facilitated.

Appendix 1 sets out the proposed responses to the questions posed by WRE in the consultation.  The purpose of this decision is to agree the responses so that they can be submitted before the deadline as a joint response from Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

WRE will use the results of the consultation to develop the Draft Plan which will be subject to another round of consultation in Autumn 2022 and the final plan is expected in 2023.  Officers are also carrying out ongoing engagement with WRE, the water companies and the Environment Agency to support the development of the Local Plan.

To confirm that the consultation response set out in Appendix 1 of this decision should be made to the emerging Water Resources Regional Plan for Eastern England.

To provide the views of South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council on the emerging Water Resources Regional Plan for Eastern England because future water resources which will be a key issue for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

Option 1: To not submit a consultation response at this stage in the development of the Water Resources Regional Plan

Reason for rejection:  Water resources will be critical to the development of the Greater Cambridge Local Plan and it is important to put forward the Councils’ views at this early stage in the development of the regional plan to support this.