Nutrient neutrality

Natural England has told councils in Norfolk that some new developments could harm protected rivers and wetlands due to nutrient pollution. This mainly affects areas around the River Wensum special area of conservation and the Broads special area of conservation and Ramsar site.

Developments that may be affected include:

• new homes
• student and care accommodation
• tourist attractions and places to stay
• certain permitted developments
• any project that could affect water quality, even without overnight stays

These developments must be carefully assessed before planning permission can be granted.

Legal requirements 

The Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2017 requires that the council must make sure new developments don’t harm protected habitats like the Broads and River Wensum. Right now, there are no local solutions in place to fix nutrient pollution from new developments.

This means the council cannot approve planning applications in affected areas unless it’s clear the development won’t cause harm. This is checked through a Habitats Regulations Assessment.