Photo description: An aerial view of a waste water treatment facility. Photo by Patrick Federi on Unsplash
A welcome opportunity, with a significant omission
Water UK has submitted a response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s consultation on extending London-style planning powers to elected mayors of Strategic Authorities across England. The trade body broadly welcomes the proposed reforms, which would give mayors the ability to produce Spatial Development Strategies, call in planning applications of strategic importance and grant permission through Mayoral Development Orders.
However, Water UK identifies a significant gap: the consultation’s list of developments qualifying as Potentially Strategic Importance (PSI) includes energy, transport and waste infrastructure, but makes no reference to water or wastewater, despite both being essential prerequisites for any new housing or commercial development.
The economic cost of getting this wrong
Water UK’s submission draws on analysis by Public First to argue that housing delivery and economic growth depend on water infrastructure being planned and delivered alongside development. Water scarcity is already constraining business growth by between £8.5bn and £13bn depending on whether government housing targets are met during this parliament. If reductions in water demand and leakage follow recent trends rather than ambitious targets, there is estimated to be sufficient water for only 420,000 of the 1.5 million homes the government plans to deliver by the end of this parliament. Water UK argues that without integrating water and wastewater into the planning process at the earliest stage, with the same strategic weight afforded to energy, housing delivery and regional economic growth will continue to be held back.
What Water UK is asking for – water infrastructure as a fourth major category
The submission makes two core asks. First, that water assets including wastewater treatment works, major trunk mains, pumping stations and service reservoirs be designated as PSI applications, giving mayors explicit call-in powers to unblock local planning delays for projects beneath the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects threshold. Water UK proposes that water and wastewater be added as a fourth Major Infrastructure category alongside transport, waste and energy. Second, that Mayoral Development Orders must not be prepared without early consultation with water and sewerage companies, and that mayors should be able to use MDOs proactively to grant permission for strategic water network upgrades needed to support designated growth areas. Water UK is also clear about what mayoral powers should not include: mayors should not act as environmental or economic regulators, nor revisit water resource positions already agreed with Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate through statutory planning processes.
What’s next?
The Prime Minister has previously indicated that mayors will have a greater role in shaping the future of water, a position that is due to be set out in the forthcoming Clean Water Bill. The alignment between devolution policy and water sector reform is therefore becoming an increasingly important area to watch.
Read more
Water UK: Full consultation response
Water Magazine: further coverage