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National policy statement for water resources infrastructure

In line with the Government’s ambition to update relevant national policy statements within its first year, today I intend to lay an update by way of non-material amendments to the national policy statement for water resources infrastructure.

Growth is one of the Prime Minister’s five defining missions of this Government.

This update will support growth by making planning decisions for water resources infrastructure quicker and easier.

This will provide certainty to the water industry and support the delivery of nine new reservoirs and the Government’s plans to get Britain building 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament.

Water resources management plans determine what additional water resources infrastructure is needed for at least the next 25 years and are comprehensively revised every five years. The plans are publicly consulted on and the options within them are scrutinised by regulators before being approved by Defra’s Secretary of State.

The updated national policy statement provides a clearer link to final water resources management plans, as part of the water resources statutory framework, so that the ‘need’ for any project within these approved plans will not need to be reassessed at the examination stage of a development consent order application.

This national policy statement also makes clear the Government’s commitment to the water and development sectors and that water resources projects are critical to growth.