CONTENTS PAGE Introduction Flood Damage Water Stressed Area Water Solutions 2 – 3 National Planning Policy Framework 3 East Herts District Council – Submission District Plan 4 - 5 Development Design 5 - 6 Environment Agency 6 Building Futures 6 Affinity Water 6 - 8 Puckeridge Tributaries 8 - 10 Sewage Treatment Works 10 Thames Water 10 - 11 1 INTRODUCTION Flood Damage in Puckeridge and Standon In February 2014 the villages of Standon and Puckeridge were flooded. Puckeridge from the Puckeridge Tributaries North, West and South, Standon from the River Rib, and houses in Hadham Road from the Papermill Stream. http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/floods-puckeridge- becomessomerset-mini-scale/story-22007588-detail/story.html From studies undertaken on behalf of the Environment Agency it has been concluded that the main flood risk to Puckeridge stems from blockages in the tributaries caused by large items dumped or washed into the channel, e.g. Christmas trees, railway sleepers. Blockages contributed to the flooding in February 2014. (See Puckeridge Tributaries below). The South Tributary can adequately convey water up to 1 in 75 years; however, if culvert structures along this reach become obstructed then the centre of Puckeridge will flood at a much lower return period event (as low as 1 in 5 year with 50-75% blockages). Water Supply East Hertfordshire lies within one of the most water-stressed areas of the East of England, which is itself one of the most water-stressed regions of the country. (See Affinity Water below). Water Solutions Development must minimise the use of mains water by incorporating water saving measures and equipment incorporating the recycling of grey water and utilising natural filtration measures where possible. Effective wastewater infrastructure is fundamental to sustainable urban life and therefore investment and expansion are required. The majority of the Parish is served by the main sewer running down from Colliers End through Puckeridge and Standon before discharging into a pumping station in Papermill Lane. From here it is pumped up to the Standon Sewage Treatment Works sited to the south of the village where the wastewater is treated before being discharged into the River Rib. The sewer collects both foul and surface water drainage and is known to surcharge at times of heavy rainfall as evidenced during the February 2014 floods. Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDS) are designed to ensure surface water flows running off from new developments do not increase that which 2 could be expected to run off from the previous green field. They enable rainwater to feed back into natural systems, rather than cause significant peak flows in the watercourses. SUDS also treat run-off water to remove pollutants. This can have multiple benefits: 1. increased recharge of groundwater and aquifers 2. reduced run-off into the sewer system (resulting in reduced energy and chemical costs of treatment) 3. improved groundwater quality via natural infiltration 4. reduced degradation of chalk stream habitats http://www.netregs.org.uk/environmental-topics/water/sustainable-urban- drainage-systems-suds/ Depending on the type of drainage techniques used, there can be flood reduction benefits, pollution control benefits, and landscape and wildlife benefits. When selecting appropriate drainage techniques, it is important to try to maximise the number of benefits, and to prioritise the most sustainable approaches. There are many practical issues of design, installation and maintenance in the implementation of effective SUDS. The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 requires upper tier authorities to set up a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) Approving Body or ‘SAB’ to: Evaluate and approve SUDS proposals for new development or redevelopment where construction work would have drainage implications, and Adopt and maintain SUDS on schemes that meet the evaluation criteria set out in the National SUDS Standards. Drainage policy is the responsibility of the Lead Local Flood Authority namely Hertfordshire County Council. However, East Herts DC still has an involvement in drainage management and the environmental and amenity aspects of drainage schemes. Hertfordshire County Council has produced a SUDs Design Guide for Hertfordshire (March 2015) http://geosmartinfo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LA-Guidance- SuDS/England/Hertfordshire-SuDs.pdf which sets out the relevant requirements. The future maintenance arrangements of SUDs need to be identified as part of the planning process to ensure adequate funding provision is made for the future, as set out in The East Herts Submission District Plan [9Mb] Policy WAT5, III:- 3 ‘Drainage should be designed and implemented in ways that deliver other policy objectives of this Plan, including water use efficiency and quality, biodiversity, amenity and recreation. The provision of balancing ponds as part of an area of public open space for recreation or wildlife should be designed to ensure the safety of other users of the space. Where SUDs are provided as part of a development, applicants should detail how it will be maintained in the long term’. NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY Adequate water and wastewater infrastructure is needed to support sustainable development. A healthy water environment will also deliver multiple benefits, such as helping to enhance the natural environment generally and adapting to climate change. The EU Water Framework Directive applies to surface waters (including some coastal waters) and groundwater (water in underground rock). It requires member states, among other things, to prevent deterioration of aquatic ecosystems and protect, enhance and restore water bodies to ‘good’ status. Local planning authorities must, in exercising their functions, have regard to the river basin management plans on the Environment Agency website that implement the Water Framework Directive. These plans contain the main issues for the water environment and the actions needed to tackle them. The National Policy Statement for Waste Water forms part of the overall framework of national planning policy. EAST HERTS DISTRICT COUNCIL – Submission District Plan East Herts Submission District Plan [9Mb] East Herts Council’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) contains maps showing flood risks from various sources, including river and surface water flood risk areas, and these represent a snapshot of flood risk at a given moment. The Environment Agency publishes regular mapping updates, and the latest evidence should be a material consideration in determination of planning applications. The East Herts Strategic Flood Risk Assessment can be viewed on the Council’s website at: East Hertfordshire Level 1 and 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment [8Mb] and East Hertfordshire Level 1 and 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment- Addendum [1Mb] The Sequential Test, and where necessary the Exception Test will be used East Hertfordshire Strategic Flood Risk Assessment- Sequential and Exception Test Technical Note [334kb]. For development proposals of 1 hectare or greater, or on any site within Flood Zones 2, 3a or 3b, a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) should be 4 submitted with the planning application. The Environment Agency’s Standing Advice for applicants and their agents provides further explanation. For more information on the Environment Agency's Standing Advice: www.gov.uk/guidance/flood-risk-assessment-for-planning-applications The abstraction and discharge of water used in the built environment can have a detrimental impact on the quality of the local waters, which in turn can impact biodiversity and ecological processes affecting wildlife. East Herts Council will continue to work with the Environment Agency and other partners to address the objectives of the Water Framework Directive through the relevant actions identified in the Thames River Basin Management Plan and River Catchment Management Plans for individual watercourses across the District in order to continuously improve their water quality. Wherever possible, an undeveloped buffer strip, with no new structures, roads or pathways, should be left alongside all watercourses, to maximise the ecological benefits of waterways. For more information and for the latest updates on the status of rivers in East Herts, see the Environment Agency’s website at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment- agency To help prevent surface water contamination following heavy rainfall, effective drainage strategies will be required as part of an integrated water management strategy. Such strategies will encompass a range of measures addressed in policies in East Herts Submission Plan See East Herts Submission District Plan [9Mb], Chapter 23 covering drainage, water infrastructure and water quality. Source Protection Zones (SPZs) exist around abstraction points for potable (drinking) water. In Source Protection Zones (SPZs), development proposals for any of the uses identified in East Herts District Council, Policy WAT2 East Herts Submission District Plan [9Mb] Chapter 23 will be required to submit an assessment of potential impacts and any mitigation measures required. A map of Source Protection Zones is available on the Environment Agency’s website at: maps.environment-agency.gov.uk East Hertfordshire forms part of the water supply grid encompassing Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of Essex, managed by a number of water supply companies. Water supply is the subject of a national policy debate about the configuration of the water industry and consumer pricing,