For proposals generating overnight accommodation this can be done by completing the Natural England Nutrient Neutrality Budget Calculator for the relevant catchment (CSV , 115KB):
- River Eden - Nutrient Neutrality budget calculator
- River Kent -Nutrient neutrality budget calculator
- River Derwent & Bassenthwaite Lake - Nutrient Neutrality budget calculator
- Teesmouth SPA, Ramsar: nutrient neutrality calculator (CSV , 114KB)
- General guidance on completing the calculators: Gov.uk: Nutrient Neutrality budget calculator guidance
Gov.uk: The Notice of Designation of Sensitive Catchment Areas January 2024. This designated all four catchments as sensitive areas for nutrients under the Water Industry Act (1991).
This means that in designated catchments, water companies have a duty to ensure wastewater treatment works serving a population equivalent to or over 2,000, meet specified nutrient removal standards by 1 April 2030.
Competent authorities (including local planning authorities) considering planning proposals for development draining via a sewer to a wastewater treatment works subject to the upgrade duty are required to consider that the nutrient pollution standard will be met by the upgrade date for the purposes of Habitats Regulations Assessments. The calculator has been updated to account for this.
Natural England's guidance explains each of the stages of calculating the nutrient budget for a proposal.
Other types of development that nutrient neutrality applies to will need to produce a bespoke calculator to establish the nutrient budget for that particular proposal.
All applications that need to demonstrate Nutrient Neutrality must provide a completed Nutrient Neutrality Budget Calculator evidencing the nutrient budget of the proposal.
Housing Occupancy Rate Review
Robin Miller of Understanding Data has completed a review of the occupancy rate figure used in the Natural England calculator on behalf of the three planning authorities.
The alternative figures recommended have been assessed and approved by Natural England as evidenced in the letter below.
The new figures in the report can now therefore be used in the Nutrient Calculators. The previous default occupancy figure remains in the calculator but can be manually changed. It is expected that when the calculators are next updated, the occupancy rate figure will be updated too.