To check the nutrient impact of your development, you can use:
- Norfolk Nutrient Budget Calculator, which uses local data for more accurate results.
- Natural England Calculator, which is also widely accepted.
A court ruling confirmed that councils can use Natural England’s calculator, but it’s not the only option. Other tools can be used if they follow proper methods and are clearly explained.
Natural England shared their calculator and guidance in a letter dated 16 March 2022. You can view their advice and methods for calculating nutrient levels below:
- Natural England nutrient neutrality generic methodology
- Natural England water quality and nutrient neutrality advice
- Nutrient neutrality principles
- Nutrient neutrality summary guide
- Nutrient budget calculator guidance document - The Broads
- The Broads SAC/Ramsar evidence pack
- The Broads nutrient neutrality budget calculator
- Nutrient budget calculator guidance document - River Wensum
- River Wensum SAC evidence pack
- River Wensum nutrient neutrality budget calculator
Use the Norfolk Nutrient Budget Calculator
Video guide on how to use the calculator.
Calculator technical reference report
The calculator is updated regularly. The current version includes a rainfall data map, but it can be hard to read. You can view a clearer version of the Norfolk average rainfall map (2001–2021) for more detail.
If you need help using the calculator, we recommend working with a specialist consultant. We will be adding more guidance to help use the calculator in response to queries we receive.
