Water

Nutrient Neutrality: Tackling Challenges and Embracing Environmental Opportunities

This is a pre-recorded webinar. To view webinar is 1.5 hrs. It is available from 3 April 2023

FREE TO EMAQ MEMBERS

The legal requirement for some developments to be 'nutrient neutral' to meet habitat regulations has created a new set of challenges for local planning authorities (LPAs) and developers. Developers must avoid or mitigate the potential eutrophication risks created by net increases in nutrient export to protected conservation sites. This novel issue creates a range of habitats regulation assessment (HRA) scenarios that have little-to-no precedent.

Nutrient neutrality is a complex, multifaceted problem to resolve but it also creates a set of potential opportunities for developments to have additional environmental benefits.   

To date, Ricardo’s water management and planning team have delivered a range of projects on nutrient neutrality, helping local authorities and regulators develop approaches and guidance to progress new development. These projects have allowed our team of experts to develop a pragmatic approach to these issues. This has helped to maximise the environmental benefits that nutrient neutrality can create, whilst enabling planning authorities and developers to progress new developments that may be ‘stuck’ due to requirements for nutrient neutrality.