WRE's long-term plan for water – read the consultation response

Water Resources East have produced their consultation response to the Draft Regional Water Resources Plan.

The feedback collated suggests that respondents: 

• Agree that WRE have presented a number of credible region-wide projections of future water needs across all sectors and the environment.
• Support WRE's goal to achieve the outcomes described by the 'Enhance' scenario. 
• Endorse the balance struck between demand and supply-side options to resolve projected deficits in the public water supply. 
• Accept that the proposed plan includes the right low regret, supply-side options in the short, medium and long term
• Agree that the proposed plan has been co-created in a fair, open and transparent way. 

The feedback also suggests that the non-public water supply sectors should present options which resolve the projected deficits for agriculture and other sectors, and maximise the potential for multi-sector and public value benefits from the two proposed new reservoirs. 

WRE anticipate to publish its final plan in December 2023. The NFU aims to continue to work with WRE to progress the priority points set out in its consultation response.

You can download the full consultation response from WRE at: Draft Regional Water Resources Plan for Eastern England: Consultation Response

Following member consultation, we have responded to responded to WRE’s draft regional plan. Below we summarise our asks to WRE. 

NFU members can download our response in full here: WRE draft regional plan consultation response

Our response 

We ask that the WRE draft regional plan looks to:

• work at a sub-regional / catchment level to fully understand the implications of water resources within those catchments and ensure solutions are focused and specific.
• provide a detailed understanding of the deficits that the agriculture sector faces across the East.
• provide a timeline for working with the agriculture sector to understand the options and how they support the short, medium and long term risks of water shortages.
• provide assurance that regulation will work alongside the proposed options to secure water resources for a sustainable future for agriculture.
• ensure fair access, for agri-food abstractors, to the available water resources.
• ensure a food risk assessment is undertaken, reviewing the impact and implications of reduced water available to the agriculture sector.
• fully explore the financial implications (capital and operational costs) of the options available to the agriculture sector and to explore funding opportunities.

In order to achieve the above, a proper and secure funding mechanism must be established for the agriculture sector.

We will continue to work with WRE ahead of the publication of the final regional plan later this autumn. 

This consultation has now closed.

Listen to WRE’s Managing Director Daniel Johns outlining the findings of the Water Resources East draft Regional Water Resources Plan with specific emphasis on the agriculture sector Webinars and Videos - Water Resources East (wre.org.uk) – scroll down to webinars and videos and select the first video.

Following the Emerging Regional Plan in February 2022, WRE's draft Regional Water Resources Plan was published on 14 November 2022, for consultation.

Responding to the consultation

We will be responding to the consultation and collating member comments up until 3 February 2023. However, members can respond individually to the consultation up until 20 February 2023.

Please send any comments to be included in the NFU response to NFU national water specialist Kelly Hewson-Fisher: Email [email protected]

Members can respond to the consultation individually by completing the form at this link: Respond to WRE's draft Regional Water Resources Plan for Eastern England

You can also email WRE at [email protected] , or write using: Water Resources East, The Enterprise Centre Research Park, University of East Anglia, University Drive, Norwich NR4 7TJ.

NFU members can download a briefing containing guidance to help with individual consultation responses: WRE consultation response briefing January 2023

Useful links:

• WRE | Draft Regional Water Resources Plan for Eastern England
• WRE | Draft Regional Plan – Executive Summary
• Supporting documents – WRE | The Draft Regional Plan - Water Resources East

We have responded to the initial draft of WRE's long-term plan.

NFU members can download our response in full here: NFU response to WRE Emerging Regional Plan February 2022

WRE Emerging Regional Plan proposals

WRE's Emerging Regional Plan for Eastern England seeks to address long-term water supply pressures in the region, which is characterised by its diversity of water use, including very significant non-public water supply users, particularly for agriculture, food production and energy.

The region is under pressure from population growth, climate change and the need to enhance the environment in some of the nation’s most iconic landscapes. 

It is said that more than 60% of England’s abstraction licences for irrigation are located in the East and farmers manage 75% of the land. Farming output supplies a food processing industry that is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector.

WRE states: 'Water is a regional challenge and one which will only be met through strong and enduring regional collaboration.'

You can read the WRE draft plan summary or the full WRE Emerging Water Resources Regional Plan for Eastern England document for more information.

Our response to WRE draft plan

We support the principles in the WRE plan, which are consistent with those embedded in our Integrated Water Management Strategy. We welcome the potential opportunities that could be delivered by a multi-sector approach to water planning.

Our Integrated Water Management Strategy illustrates that pressures faced by farmers and growers in managing ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’ water are likely to become so great that they will not always be solved at the farm level.

Cooperation and collaboration

Cooperation and collaboration within the farming community, and with other sectors such as water companies, will be vital in our response to managing extremes.

We think that the development of the WRE plan is an important step forward which should create opportunities to promote multi-sector schemes where farmers, water companies, energy companies and others can share the benefits of new and improved facilities.

In our response on the draft plan, we have asked that the WRE Emerging Regional Plan looks to provide:

• detailed understanding of the deficits that the agricultural sector faces across the East
• a timeline for working with the agricultural sector to understand the options and how they support the short, medium and long term risks of water shortages
• assurance that regulation will work alongside the proposed options to secure water resources for a sustainable future for agriculture
• work at a sub-regional/catchment level to fully understand the implications of water resources within those catchments
• fair access, for agri-food abstractors, to the available water resources
• fully explored financial implications (capital and operational costs) of the options available to the agricultural sector and to explore funding opportunities.

Reservoirs

The WRE plan includes proposals for the construction of two reservoirs in the Fens, one in Lincolnshire and one in Cambridgeshire although siting for these has not been finalised.

We believe that all new public water supply infrastructure must be designed and built to deliver multi-sector benefit, including for agriculture. Agricultural water needs must be recognised as an explicit part of resource use plans.

We also believe that both the design and implementation during construction must be carried out in a way that minimises impact on land ownership and farming operations.

Read more about the NFU's position on reservoirs: NFU position on public reservoirs

WRE's draft plan is one of five regional plans across England to be published in January 2022 as part of Government’s Water Resources Planning Framework. The NFU supports the principles contained within the framework, which is consistent with those embedded in the our Integrated Water Management Strategy.

The WRE plan seeks to address long-term water supply pressures in the region and includes a clear ambition to protect and improve the environment.

It includes proposals for the construction of two reservoirs in the Fens, one in Lincolnshire and one in Cambridgeshire although siting for these has not been finalised.

NFU position

The NFU believes that all new public water supply infrastructure must be designed and built to deliver multi-sector benefit, including agriculture, such that agricultural water needs are recognised as an explicit part of resource use plans. The NFU also believes that both the design and implementation during construction must be carried out in a way that minimises impact on land ownership and farming operations.

However overall, the NFU welcomes the potential opportunities that could be delivered by a multi-sector approach to water planning.

Our Integrated Water Management Strategy illustrates that pressures faced by farmers and growers in managing ‘too much’ and ‘not enough’ water are likely to become so great that they will not always be solved at the farm level. Cooperation and collaboration within the farming community, and with other sectors such as water companies, will be vital in our response to managing extremes.

We think that the development of the WRE plan is an important step forward which should create opportunities to promote multi-sector schemes where farmers, water companies, energy companies and others can share the benefits of new and improved facilities.

How to have your say

Members interested in finding out more can read the WRE draft plan summary or the full WRE emerging plan document

Members wishing to discuss issues raised in the draft report can contact [email protected] or [email protected]