Welsh Water has hosted its latest developer forums in North and South Wales, marking 15 years of these events providing space for collaboration and opportunities to improve services for home builders across its operating area.

The Government has published a planning reform policy working paper paper on development and nature recovery proposing a new approach which uses funding from development to deliver environmental improvements and moves more responsibility for the improvements onto the state rather than developers.

The government has set out measures to tackle pollution at source and enable the construction of thousands of homes, as it publishes a list of over 140 wastewater treatment works legally required to be upgraded in areas affected by nutrient neutrality advice.

The Government has confirmed its plan to relax nutrient neutrality rules by amending the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill – saying that “over 100,000 homes held up due to defective EU laws will be unblocked between now and 2030” as a result.

Ofwat has launched a new consultation on environmental incentives aimed at supporting water efficiency and more sustainable drainage across all types of new development to achieve sustainable new homes.

Water UK has reiterated its warning that Government proposals to tackle nutrient pollution, if left unchanged, will force water companies to rebuild concrete-intensive sewage treatment works.

The Government has announced it will make sustainable drainage systems mandatory to new developments in England – the new approach to sustainable drainage is set to reduce flood risk and clean up rivers. 

Water UK is warning that a new Government proposal to tackle nutrient pollution in rivers will have the unintended consequence of forcing water companies to rebuild sewage treatment works with solutions that must (without exception) use new concrete and steel – rather than creating woodlands, reed beds and wetlands that can be faster, more effective, and cheaper.

Appearing before the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee last week, Environmental Audit Committee Chair Rt. Hon Phillip Dunne MP questioned the effectiveness of water sector regulators Ofwat and the Environment Agency.

Southern Water has acted to increase the water resilience of the South East at its third annual Developer Day with critical water industry stakeholders, aimed at ensuring the estimated 120,000 new homes planned for the area over the next five years use water as efficiently as possible, which will help deliver a cleaner environment.