The Agency wants its ‘digital transformation programme’ to modernise the way it interacts with licence holders and believes that, in time, it will help change the way that licences are managed.
Andy Turner, Manager of Digital Services at the Environment Agency, told farmers and growers at the NFU event that this programme is a key component of Defra’s Abstraction Plan, which sets out how we will improve future management of, and access to, water.
“The launch of our Digital Service is a small but significant first step,” he said.
“From today we are encouraging licence holders to register for the service which will allow them to view their licences online.”
The new digital service is a voluntary addition to, but does not replace, existing paper-form abstraction licences.
The event took place at the NFU Regional Office in Newmarket. NFU Water Specialist Paul Hammett said it had given NFU members an early chance to comment on the future development of a service that is at an embryonic stage.
“Abstractors had some really good ideas about how a web-based service can be developed to help, for example, in the real-time monitoring of flow conditions on surface water licences,” he said
“And in view of their collective experience of dealing with the RPA web-based system, they had plenty of recommendations on the pitfalls that must be avoided.”
Defra is expected to make an announcement shortly on the selection of four priority catchments as part of the Abstraction Plan. Activity in the priority catchments will focus on encouraging groups of abstractors and catchment partnerships to come together to identify possible solutions to local water pressures.
The Agency believes that its digital licensing service could be an important tool for improved access to water if, for example, water trading opportunities are identified in any of the priority catchments.