Comment

Representation ID: 99270

Received: 14/12/2022

Respondent: Anglian Water

Anglian Water is the water and water recycling provider for over 6 million customers in the east of England. Our operational area spans between the Humber and Thames estuaries and includes around a fifth of the English coastline. The region is the driest in the UK and the lowest lying, with a quarter of our area below sea level. This makes it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including heightened risks of both drought and flooding, including inundation by the sea.

Anglian Water is a statutory consultee under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning( (England) Regulations 2012. Anglian Water wants to proactively engage with the local plan process to ensure the plan delivers benefits for residents and visitors to the area, and in doing do protects the environment and natural resources. In the context of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan preparation, we are engaging as a waste operator through the operation and management of our water recycling network and centres. As a purpose-led company, we are committed to seeking positive environmental and social outcomes for our region.

Anglian Water has previously engaged with Norfolk County Council in making representations on earlier iterations of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan (MWLP). Through our representation on the Publication Version of the MWLP we will positively respond with reference to our previous comments and indicate areas of support and where we have outstanding matters of concern

Conclusion
Anglian Water is supportive of many of the policy areas that guide development associated with our role as a waste operator, and policies that seek to safeguard our existing assets and network. We though continue to have a number of concerns in relation to the soundness of the plan, and a number of these were previously raised in our consultation response to the Preferred Options consultation (Reg. 18) and newly introduced policies/policy tests.
Given the matters raised in our response, we would want to engage with Norfolk County Council Minerals and Waste Policy Team to identify areas where we can agree proposed modifications to policy and areas where there are outstanding matters to be addressed through examination process. We would welcome the preparation of a Statement of Common Ground in this respect.