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Water credits are an excellent solution to urgent planning deadlines
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Today there are increased objections to planning applications
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Water neutrality issues increase due to increased abstraction and risk deterioration to water bodies
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Planning objections increase accordingly
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Water neutrality is a water sustainability issue affecting all development in the Sussex North Water Resource Zone. (SNWRZ). Where an onsite borehole is not feasible either due to time pressures, site constraints or site hydrogeology, we can provide a Water Credit solution.
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Just like carbon credits, water credits can be used to offset a development’s future water demand by offsetting water through an equivalent water saving on third party land.
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A user may sell any unwanted or unused credits to another user that needs them. This incentivizes reducing water contaminants from the environment, while also maximizing the utilization of water used in each process.
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Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment.
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In 2024-2025 Natural England is prioritizing an Environmental Improvement Plan.
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West Sussex County Council now demands that any new developments within certain zones in the Arun Valley must be water-neutral.
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This means that developers or organisations wishing to submit a planning application within this area are required to supply a water neutrality statement with their planning application.
Water neutrality is a water sustainability issue affecting all development in the Sussex North Water Resource Zone. (SNWRZ). Where an onsite borehole is not feasible either due to time pressures, site constraints or site hydrogeology, we can provide a Water Credit solution.Just like carbon credits, water credits can be used to offset a development’s future water demand by offsetting water through an equivalent water saving on third party land. Nicholls have developed a robust and legally secure water credit scheme in close collaboration with LPAs, legal experts, developers and third-party landowners.Offsetting using Water Credits provides an off-the-shelf solution to quickly get planning moving and with no ongoing obligations on either the developer or the house purchaser. Within a couple of days, a planning application held up by water neutrality could be moving again. If you are at the land acquisition stage water credits may provide the surety you need in negotiating land value.If you are either a developer, large or small, and stuck in the planning process or preparing an application or land acquisition, please get in touch.If you are a landowner or business with an average daily consumption of 4m³ or more, we’d love to hear from you. We have the right knowledge and contractual arrangements to ensure you maximise the value of what is now a valuable asset.Landowners and businesses joining our water credit scheme benefit from ongoing operational savings, a capital injection and improved sustainability.
Nicholls’ are dedicated to protactively promote sustainable water management and ensure equitable access to water resources for all.
SUSTAINABILITY AT NICHOLLS
At Nicholls Licensing & Consulting we actively promote and encourage sustainability with regards to reducing carbon emissions and work with our clients and often with the EA to support water abstraction in a sustainable way. Where an onsite borehole is not feasible either due to time pressures, site constraints or site hydrogeology, we can provide a Water Credit solution. Read more about this solution, below.
Our rural premises are carbon neutral – this has been achieved with the installation of solar panels, a wind turbine and a Ground Source Heat Pump system providing all the heating and hot water for our offices. Additionally, we have installed a water borehole at our site to help reduce our impact on the mains water supply and save costs.
Nicholls promote Ground Source Heat Pump and Water Source Heat Pump systems as they can be some of the most efficient carbon saving solutions.
Today freshwater is a finite resource and it now evident that water shortage is a global problem.
The uneven distribution of this invaluable resource makes it difficult for decision-makers to create concrete environmental management strategies to sustain it both physically and economically.
This means that conservation is crucial to ensure sustainable water use for future generations.
Governments have been forced to react and new policies have a huge impact on planning applications in zones where water neutrality is a planing pre-requisit.
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Water neutrality ensures that there is sufficient water to satisfy everybody and the environment without using all the water that's available or burdening the ecosystems.
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This ensures that the total volume of water used or taken from a specific water source is not greater than what the area can naturally replenish or support over time. This means that the additional water demand from a new development is zero.
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Similar to carbon neutrality, where carbon emissions are offset through various means like reforestation or renewable energy projects, water neutrality seeks to achieve a balance between water consumption and conservation efforts.
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The idea behind water neutrality is to encourage individuals, businesses, and organizations to take responsibility for their water usage by implementing water-saving technologies, conservation practices, or investing in water restoration projects.
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This helps mitigate the impact of water scarcity, promote sustainable water management, and ensure equitable access to water resources for all.
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Water neutrality represents a proactive approach toward addressing water scarcity and promoting sustainable water management practices on a local, regional, and global scale.
“For every new development, total water use in the Sussex North Water Supply Zone after the development must be equal to or less than the total water-use in the region before the new development.”
‘New development’ is considered to be any relevant project requiring a public water supply from Southern Water’s Sussex North Water Supply Zone
“For every new development, total water use in the Sussex North Water Supply Zone after the development must be equal to or less than the total water-use in the region before the new development.”
‘New development’ is considered to be any relevant project requiring a public water supply from Southern Water’s Sussex North Water Supply Zone
