Finally some good news on Nutrient Neutrality and fixing planning delays in Broadland. For the last 18 months there has been a block in planning permissions for buildings with toilets in them, since any additional flush could increase the amount of nutrients in our rivers. So there has been a scramble to develop mitigation schemes so that home improvements and new houses can get going again.
I have been lobbying the council for many, many, months to solve this problem by offering a free septic tank replacement service, which would provide a great upgrade for existing householders whilst also reducing nutrients in the rivers. Did you know that the upgrade of a single septic tank equals about 10 new homes!
The Conservative Government has come to the rescue and provided £9.6m to get the ball rolling and I am delighted that Norfolk Environmental Credits has just signed a deal to do exactly this. The first septic tank replacement will be on 10th June, unlocking the terrible planning backlog. If you have a septic tank, have a look at this link to see if you can benefit from the free upgrade.