The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has published new guidance for the Environment Agency setting out expectations for the main steps and principles of the river basin planning process.

The guidance for the river basin planning function covers the planning period from 2021 to 2027, replacing the previous guidance published in July 2014 for 2015 - 2021.

It sets out expectations for the main steps and principles of the river basin planning process to guide the Environment Agency’s work on preparing and implementing river basin management plans.

River basin management plans set out the legally binding objectives, standards, and measures to meet water objectives for all sectors of the economy.

Introducing the guidance, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow MP said:

“We are determined to accelerate our progress and drive the actions that are needed forward. The government’s commitment towards this is now being made manifest through water company investment which is being scaled up to £7.1 billion in the current 5-year period.

“We are setting new targets for water and biodiversity in the Environment Bill to provide a strong mechanism to deliver long-term environmental outcomes. We will consult on the details of the proposed targets in early 2022.

“We have responded to public concerns over the unacceptable impacts of storm overflows that operate far too frequently and incorrectly and have established a task force to address the problem. Similarly, we have taken action to respond to concerns regarding the condition of our chalk streams, which are globally rare ecosystems.

“All these actions will go towards addressing the gap between our ambition for water and its current condition.”

According to the Minister, the river basin management plans are the government’s main mechanism to establish local objectives for water, set in consultation with local communities, describing them as:

“in effect, an asset management plan for water that is developed in consultation with local communities and relevant interest groups.”

The guidance for the third round of river basin management plans is the first since the UK has left the European Union.

The guidance says the Environment Agency should work with partners across national, regional and local areas in a joined-up approach.

While the guidance is primarily for the Environment Agency it is also intended to provide a point of reference for other regulators, bodies and individuals affected by or contributing to the river basin planning process.

The guidance does not however set out the details of the river basin planning process which will be determined by the Environment Agency.

For plans and strategies that are the responsibility of other organisations, the guidance says the Environment Agency should work with other public bodies to strengthen good links between river basin planning and other relevant planning processes and strategies, especially for those plans which have a statutory basis, including:

• development plans
• flood risk management plans developed by lead local flood authorities
• local flood risk management strategies
• local Nature Recovery Strategies
• water resources management plans
• drought plans

The guidance says the Environment Agency should work with Defra and local authorities to use the opportunity provided by the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Environment Bill and Ofwat’s Price Review Process (PR19 and PR24) and associated Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) to better align policies and more explicitly build outcomes for water into other initiatives.

Click here to download River Basin Planning Guidance in full