Issues and Options Document

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Rochford Local Plan Issues and Options consultation document. The following response is submitted on behalf of Anglian Water as sewerage undertaker for Rochford District.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this response.

Tell Us More: What do you think the new Local Plan should be trying to achieve, and why?

We are supportive of Draft Strategic Objective 13 which relates to Anglian Water's water recycling infrastructure but would ask that the Local Plan policies expands on this issue and emphasises the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as the preferred method of surface water management and that the timing of development is aligned with sufficient water recycling infrastructure. (Please see comments relating to Question SP3.4 and SP3.6).

Tell Us More SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the district?

Six potential options or a combination of the available options are identified as being a realistic strategy for the delivery of new homes. We would welcome further discussion with the Council about the distribution of additional housing and the implications for Anglian Water's existing infrastructure and the extent to which there is a need for new or improved infrastructure.

Tell Us More SP3.4: How do we address water and flood risk management over the next 20 years?

Reference is made to principal risks of flooding being from rivers, the sea and surface water within the district but not the risk of flooding from sewers. We would ask that the new Local Plan includes a specific policy on flood risk and water management which includes the following requirements:

* Applicants to demonstrate that capacity is available within the public sewerage network and receiving water recycling centre (formerly sewage treatment works) in Anglian Water's ownership or can be made available in time to serve the development.
* Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to be identified as the preferred method of surface water disposal and that it is considered as part of the design of new developments and re-developments. The policy should also ensure that applicants provide evidence as part of the planning application that they have followed the surface water hierarchy as outlined in the National Planning Practice Guidance. With surface water connections to the public sewerage networks being allowed only on an exceptional basis where alternatives are shown to be technically unfeasible.
* That suitable access is safeguarded for the maintenance of existing drainage infrastructure following development.

Reference is made to a recommendation on the Council's Environmental Capacity Study that the existing Water Cycle Study published in 2011 should be updated. In the event that the District Council is intending to commission an updated Water Cycle Study we would welcome further discussion with the District Council about the scope of any technical work. We are currently preparing a Water Recycling Long Term Plan currently being prepared which will set out Anglian Water's long term strategy for water recycling centres and sewerage catchments and is expected to be published in Summer 2018.

We would welcome further discussions with the Council relating to any further technical work relating to water recycling infrastructure which is to be commissioned following the preparation of the Outline Water Cycle Study.

Tell Us More SP3.6: How do we deal with planning obligations and standard charges to support the delivery of new homes and jobs over the next 20 years?

The focus of this question is on the use of planning obligations and standard charges to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of development within the district. Anglian Water as a sewerage company seeks charges directly from developers under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 as such we would not make use of planning obligations or standard charges under Planning Legislation for this purpose. Further information relating to the charges which will come into effect from 1st April 2018 is available to view at the following address:

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/developers/charges/

However we would ask that any Local Plan policy relating to planning obligations/standard charges also emphasises the need for phasing and the use of planning conditions/obligations to ensure development is aligned with the provision of infrastructure for this purpose. Therefore we would ask that the following wording or similar be included in the Local Plan:

'Consideration must be given to the likely timing of infrastructure provision. As such, development may need to be phased either spatially or in time to ensure the provision of infrastructure in a timely manner. Conditions or a planning obligation may be used to secure this phasing.'

We would welcome further discussion with the District Council relating to the wording of the Local Plan policies relevant to Anglian Water prior to the next formal stage of the preparation of the Local Plan.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Rochford Local Plan Issues and Options consultation document. The following response is submitted on behalf of Anglian Water as sewerage undertaker for Rochford District.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this response.

Tell Us More: What do you think the new Local Plan should be trying to achieve, and why?

We are supportive of Draft Strategic Objective 13 which relates to Anglian Water's water recycling infrastructure but would ask that the Local Plan policies expands on this issue and emphasises the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as the preferred method of surface water management and that the timing of development is aligned with sufficient water recycling infrastructure. (Please see comments relating to Question SP3.4 and SP3.6).

Tell Us More SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the district?

Six potential options or a combination of the available options are identified as being a realistic strategy for the delivery of new homes. We would welcome further discussion with the Council about the distribution of additional housing and the implications for Anglian Water's existing infrastructure and the extent to which there is a need for new or improved infrastructure.

Tell Us More SP3.4: How do we address water and flood risk management over the next 20 years?

Reference is made to principal risks of flooding being from rivers, the sea and surface water within the district but not the risk of flooding from sewers. We would ask that the new Local Plan includes a specific policy on flood risk and water management which includes the following requirements:

* Applicants to demonstrate that capacity is available within the public sewerage network and receiving water recycling centre (formerly sewage treatment works) in Anglian Water's ownership or can be made available in time to serve the development.
* Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to be identified as the preferred method of surface water disposal and that it is considered as part of the design of new developments and re-developments. The policy should also ensure that applicants provide evidence as part of the planning application that they have followed the surface water hierarchy as outlined in the National Planning Practice Guidance. With surface water connections to the public sewerage networks being allowed only on an exceptional basis where alternatives are shown to be technically unfeasible.
* That suitable access is safeguarded for the maintenance of existing drainage infrastructure following development.

Reference is made to a recommendation on the Council's Environmental Capacity Study that the existing Water Cycle Study published in 2011 should be updated. In the event that the District Council is intending to commission an updated Water Cycle Study we would welcome further discussion with the District Council about the scope of any technical work. We are currently preparing a Water Recycling Long Term Plan currently being prepared which will set out Anglian Water's long term strategy for water recycling centres and sewerage catchments and is expected to be published in Summer 2018.

We would welcome further discussions with the Council relating to any further technical work relating to water recycling infrastructure which is to be commissioned following the preparation of the Outline Water Cycle Study.

Tell Us More SP3.6: How do we deal with planning obligations and standard charges to support the delivery of new homes and jobs over the next 20 years?

The focus of this question is on the use of planning obligations and standard charges to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of development within the district. Anglian Water as a sewerage company seeks charges directly from developers under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 as such we would not make use of planning obligations or standard charges under Planning Legislation for this purpose. Further information relating to the charges which will come into effect from 1st April 2018 is available to view at the following address:

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/developers/charges/

However we would ask that any Local Plan policy relating to planning obligations/standard charges also emphasises the need for phasing and the use of planning conditions/obligations to ensure development is aligned with the provision of infrastructure for this purpose. Therefore we would ask that the following wording or similar be included in the Local Plan:

'Consideration must be given to the likely timing of infrastructure provision. As such, development may need to be phased either spatially or in time to ensure the provision of infrastructure in a timely manner. Conditions or a planning obligation may be used to secure this phasing.'

We would welcome further discussion with the District Council relating to the wording of the Local Plan policies relevant to Anglian Water prior to the next formal stage of the preparation of the Local Plan.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Rochford Local Plan Issues and Options consultation document. The following response is submitted on behalf of Anglian Water as sewerage undertaker for Rochford District.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this response.

Tell Us More: What do you think the new Local Plan should be trying to achieve, and why?

We are supportive of Draft Strategic Objective 13 which relates to Anglian Water's water recycling infrastructure but would ask that the Local Plan policies expands on this issue and emphasises the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as the preferred method of surface water management and that the timing of development is aligned with sufficient water recycling infrastructure. (Please see comments relating to Question SP3.4 and SP3.6).

Tell Us More SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the district?

Six potential options or a combination of the available options are identified as being a realistic strategy for the delivery of new homes. We would welcome further discussion with the Council about the distribution of additional housing and the implications for Anglian Water's existing infrastructure and the extent to which there is a need for new or improved infrastructure.

Tell Us More SP3.4: How do we address water and flood risk management over the next 20 years?

Reference is made to principal risks of flooding being from rivers, the sea and surface water within the district but not the risk of flooding from sewers. We would ask that the new Local Plan includes a specific policy on flood risk and water management which includes the following requirements:

* Applicants to demonstrate that capacity is available within the public sewerage network and receiving water recycling centre (formerly sewage treatment works) in Anglian Water's ownership or can be made available in time to serve the development.
* Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to be identified as the preferred method of surface water disposal and that it is considered as part of the design of new developments and re-developments. The policy should also ensure that applicants provide evidence as part of the planning application that they have followed the surface water hierarchy as outlined in the National Planning Practice Guidance. With surface water connections to the public sewerage networks being allowed only on an exceptional basis where alternatives are shown to be technically unfeasible.
* That suitable access is safeguarded for the maintenance of existing drainage infrastructure following development.

Reference is made to a recommendation on the Council's Environmental Capacity Study that the existing Water Cycle Study published in 2011 should be updated. In the event that the District Council is intending to commission an updated Water Cycle Study we would welcome further discussion with the District Council about the scope of any technical work. We are currently preparing a Water Recycling Long Term Plan currently being prepared which will set out Anglian Water's long term strategy for water recycling centres and sewerage catchments and is expected to be published in Summer 2018.

We would welcome further discussions with the Council relating to any further technical work relating to water recycling infrastructure which is to be commissioned following the preparation of the Outline Water Cycle Study.

Tell Us More SP3.6: How do we deal with planning obligations and standard charges to support the delivery of new homes and jobs over the next 20 years?

The focus of this question is on the use of planning obligations and standard charges to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of development within the district. Anglian Water as a sewerage company seeks charges directly from developers under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 as such we would not make use of planning obligations or standard charges under Planning Legislation for this purpose. Further information relating to the charges which will come into effect from 1st April 2018 is available to view at the following address:

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/developers/charges/

However we would ask that any Local Plan policy relating to planning obligations/standard charges also emphasises the need for phasing and the use of planning conditions/obligations to ensure development is aligned with the provision of infrastructure for this purpose. Therefore we would ask that the following wording or similar be included in the Local Plan:

'Consideration must be given to the likely timing of infrastructure provision. As such, development may need to be phased either spatially or in time to ensure the provision of infrastructure in a timely manner. Conditions or a planning obligation may be used to secure this phasing.'

We would welcome further discussion with the District Council relating to the wording of the Local Plan policies relevant to Anglian Water prior to the next formal stage of the preparation of the Local Plan.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Rochford Local Plan Issues and Options consultation document. The following response is submitted on behalf of Anglian Water as sewerage undertaker for Rochford District.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received this response.

Tell Us More: What do you think the new Local Plan should be trying to achieve, and why?

We are supportive of Draft Strategic Objective 13 which relates to Anglian Water's water recycling infrastructure but would ask that the Local Plan policies expands on this issue and emphasises the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as the preferred method of surface water management and that the timing of development is aligned with sufficient water recycling infrastructure. (Please see comments relating to Question SP3.4 and SP3.6).

Tell Us More SP1.3: How do we plan for and facilitate the delivery of our need for new homes over the next 20 years within the district?

Six potential options or a combination of the available options are identified as being a realistic strategy for the delivery of new homes. We would welcome further discussion with the Council about the distribution of additional housing and the implications for Anglian Water's existing infrastructure and the extent to which there is a need for new or improved infrastructure.

Tell Us More SP3.4: How do we address water and flood risk management over the next 20 years?

Reference is made to principal risks of flooding being from rivers, the sea and surface water within the district but not the risk of flooding from sewers. We would ask that the new Local Plan includes a specific policy on flood risk and water management which includes the following requirements:

* Applicants to demonstrate that capacity is available within the public sewerage network and receiving water recycling centre (formerly sewage treatment works) in Anglian Water's ownership or can be made available in time to serve the development.
* Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to be identified as the preferred method of surface water disposal and that it is considered as part of the design of new developments and re-developments. The policy should also ensure that applicants provide evidence as part of the planning application that they have followed the surface water hierarchy as outlined in the National Planning Practice Guidance. With surface water connections to the public sewerage networks being allowed only on an exceptional basis where alternatives are shown to be technically unfeasible.
* That suitable access is safeguarded for the maintenance of existing drainage infrastructure following development.

Reference is made to a recommendation on the Council's Environmental Capacity Study that the existing Water Cycle Study published in 2011 should be updated. In the event that the District Council is intending to commission an updated Water Cycle Study we would welcome further discussion with the District Council about the scope of any technical work. We are currently preparing a Water Recycling Long Term Plan currently being prepared which will set out Anglian Water's long term strategy for water recycling centres and sewerage catchments and is expected to be published in Summer 2018.

We would welcome further discussions with the Council relating to any further technical work relating to water recycling infrastructure which is to be commissioned following the preparation of the Outline Water Cycle Study.

Tell Us More SP3.6: How do we deal with planning obligations and standard charges to support the delivery of new homes and jobs over the next 20 years?

The focus of this question is on the use of planning obligations and standard charges to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of development within the district. Anglian Water as a sewerage company seeks charges directly from developers under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 as such we would not make use of planning obligations or standard charges under Planning Legislation for this purpose. Further information relating to the charges which will come into effect from 1st April 2018 is available to view at the following address:

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/developers/charges/

However we would ask that any Local Plan policy relating to planning obligations/standard charges also emphasises the need for phasing and the use of planning conditions/obligations to ensure development is aligned with the provision of infrastructure for this purpose. Therefore we would ask that the following wording or similar be included in the Local Plan:

'Consideration must be given to the likely timing of infrastructure provision. As such, development may need to be phased either spatially or in time to ensure the provision of infrastructure in a timely manner. Conditions or a planning obligation may be used to secure this phasing.'

We would welcome further discussion with the District Council relating to the wording of the Local Plan policies relevant to Anglian Water prior to the next formal stage of the preparation of the Local Plan.