CC/WE: Water efficiency in new developments

What support will be available for developers in seeking to meet the high standards proposed? Will the potential impact on viability be taken into consideration? Regardless of the chosen approach, it would be useful to include further guidance/information in an SPD.

What support will be available for developers in seeking to meet the high standards proposed? Will the potential impact on viability be taken into consideration? Regardless of the chosen approach, it would be useful to include further guidance/information in an SPD.

What support will be available for developers in seeking to meet the high standards proposed? Will the potential impact on viability be taken into consideration? Regardless of the chosen approach, it would be useful to include further guidance/information in an SPD.

This should be key to all development and this could go further in terms of sustainability
We endorse net zero carbon in new builds and this should be a priority.
We are concerned about the lack of water in South Cambridgeshire so water efficiency is a priority.
A priority for all developments. Further research needs to be undertaken to understand the future challenges we face.
A priority for all developments
A priority for all developments we need to keep ahead of new renewable technologies and review these yearly.
Key. (See document)
Key

What support will be available for developers in seeking to meet the high standards proposed? Will the potential impact on viability be taken into consideration? Regardless of the chosen approach, it would be useful to include further guidance/information in an SPD.

This policy introduces requirements for water efficiency in new domestic and nondomestic development in the form of the following:
• 80 litres per person per day for domestic development; and
• Full BREEAM credits for Wat 01 for non-domestic development.
Countryside acknowledge that the Greater Cambridge area is under water stress and there is a strong encouragement for all new development to improve water efficiency however with respect to draft Policy CC/ WE we have the following comments:
• We agree with the statement on Page 26 of the Topic Paper that the highest water efficiency standard that can be requested by local authorities is 110 l per person per day (pppd).
• We also agree that achieving 80lppd will require either rainwater harvesting and/ or greywater recycling. Both systems introduce significant maintenance requirements (and therefore cost) for homeowners and introduce technology that has not been tested ‘en-masse’. Countryside’s experience of trialling grey water recycling is that it is unreliable and likely to cause maintenance issues for homeowners
• Given the unreliability of greywater recycling Countryside believe the only practical mechanism to achieve the 80lpppd would be through the use of rainwater harvesting systems which have the following constraints;
‒ Such systems are more difficult for flats given that communal harvesting tanks (which are more expensive) would be necessary; and
‒ Greater Cambridge is already one of the driest areas in the UK and climate change is predicated to reduce rainfall in Greater Cambridge by 47% it is highly likely that rainwater harvesting will not capture sufficient rain to meet the policy target and will therefore be ineffective.
• Given the above, Countryside believe that the GCLP should implement the Government’s technical standard for water efficiency for Policy CC/ WE which is 110 lpppd. This would be viable, deliverable and achievable for all new dwellings within GC. Should technology such as grey water recycling become viable during the lifetime of the plan then this could be considered as a means to improve water efficiency beyond the target of 110 lpppd.

Water supply has emerged as a key issue for stakeholders during this consultation. We have discussed this in our response to the ‘Vision and Development Strategy’ section. Relevant to the current section: improving water efficiency is vital but is highly unlikely to result in an overall reduction in water use in the face of the proposed levels of development. Our comments below must be taken in this context.
We welcome the ambitious target set for water efficiency and the incorporation into this policy of the findings of the Greater Cambridge Integrated Water Management Study (2021): water efficient fixtures and fittings, water reuse, surface water, greywater integrated on site. We look forward to further detail on how achievement of this target will be enforced and monitored.
We are not clear to what extent wastewater management falls within the remit of the Local Plan. However, sewage management, including separation of surface water drainage from sewers, is a critical element of sustainability for new developments and we would like to see more information on this, or signposting to where such information exists. Similarly, although it is stated that water supply is not within the remit, the importance of “making full use of water re-use measures on site including rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling” is acknowledged. Again we would like to see details of how this will be achieved. Ideally we feel that rainwater harvesting and grey water use in new developments should be mandatory and designed in from the start.