Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 75
75
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 371
Local authorities have a key role to play in restoring rivers to good ecological status...
Conclusion
Local authorities have a key role to play in restoring rivers to good ecological status across the country. Their engagement in Catchment Based Approach partnerships is crucial, while their work on Local Nature Recovery Strategies must engage with the development of drainage and sewerage management plans. It is essential that they be given powers sufficient to enable them to retrofit sustainable drainage systems on outfalls from major roads and housing estates.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Government agrees with the intention behind this recommendation and says there is information available nationally and at a catchment level as part of the Environment Agency’s River Basin Management Planning process and that they are working with Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to help them calculate nutrient budgets and identify nutrient mitigation to allow development to continue.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
371
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Guiding Principles for Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans, published in February 2022, require water companies to work collaboratively with other Risk Management Authorities in developing solutions to drainage issues. In 2020 the Government reviewed and made changes to partnership funding rules for flood grant in aid, promoting more nature-based solutions and surface water schemes such as sustainable drainage systems. The Government keeps its flood management policy and funding rules under review to reflect the latest risk and deliver appropriate projects. Approximately 34% of the 2,000 flood defence schemes planned for 2021–27 are for surface water management. These represent over £400 million of Government investment and will better protect over 50,000 properties. At least 100 of the planned projects have indicated that sustainable drainage is likely to form part of the solution. The Government fully supports the use of blue green infrastructure, such as sustainable drainage systems and grey water recycling to manage surface water, across existing and new communities. We have placed a greater emphasis on this in our 25 Year Environment Plan, Flood and Coastal Erosion Policy Statement and updated planning policy. Through drainage and wastewater management plans we expect sewerage companies to fully assess wastewater network capacity. They will develop collaborative solutions with local authorities and other bodies who are responsible for parts of the drainage system in order to manage the challenges of a changing climate and extreme weather events. These solutions include retrofitting sustainable drainage systems where appropriate. Water companies will be investing over £1 billion between 2020–2025, to reduce the impact of flooding on communities across England and Wales. They have also proposed an additional £2.7 billion of environmental investment, through the Government’s green economic recovery fund.
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