Comment

Representation ID: 3837

Received: 10/04/2019

Respondent: Anglian Water

We note that reference is made to a lack of capacity within combined sewers for additional foul flows within the public sewerage network managed by Anglian Water.
There is an established process for funding and delivery of new and improved water recycling infrastructure by Anglian Water and through developer charges.
As you may be aware Water and sewerage companies including Anglian Water prepare business plans on a 5 year investment cycle. Customer charges will be set following submissions from Anglian Water about what it will cost to deliver the business plan. Anglian Water’s business plan for the next Asset Management Plan period (2020 to 2025) and submitted in August 2018 to our regulator Ofwat.
We have recently published a Water Recycling Long Term Plan (WRLTP) which sets out a long term strategy to identify the need for further investment by Anglian Water at existing water recycling centres or within foul sewerage catchments to accommodate the anticipated scale and timing of growth in the company area. This document has been used to inform future business plans including the business plan which has been submitted for 2020 to 2025.
We have considered a range of solutions within sewer catchment or at the Water Recycling Centre to accommodate further growth as part of this plan. WRC upgrades will not be the most appropriate solution in all cases, we will assess what solution resolves the need whilst providing the best value for money for our customers.
Anglian Water’s final business plan is expected to approved by our regulator Ofwat in December 2019.
The expectation is that investment for water recycling centres will be subject to the outcome of business planning process. It will also be reviewed on annual basis taking account of the proposed scale and timing of development in specific catchments. As such we would consider any additional growth identified in the Council’s new Local Plan.
Anglian Water as a sewerage company seeks fair contributions through charges directly from developers under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 to drain a site effectively. As such we would not, in most cases, make use of planning obligations or standard charges under Planning Legislation for this purpose.
Charging mechanisms have recently been simplified, with most companies now introducing a standard charge for all new dwellings which will be used to fund water supply and foul sewerage network improvements. Further information relating to the current developer charges is available to view at the following address:
http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/developers/charges/
We would ask that Southend on Sea Council considers the published WRLTP together with other relevant technical evidence as part of the preparation of the New Local Plan.
In the event that Southend on Sea Council intends to commission further technical evidence relating to Anglian Water’s existing water recycling infrastructure we would wish to be involved in the scoping process to avoid potential duplication. As such we welcome further discussions with Southend on Sea Council on this topic.