Nutrient Neutral Assessment and Mitigation Strategy (NNAMS)
A NNAMS is the report that demonstrates how a development meets the requirements for nutrient neutrality.
All developments within certain designated areas require a NNAMS and many LPAs also now require an applicant to provide a Shadow Habitats Regulations Assessment (sHRA) to determine a planning application.
Phosphate Balance Explained
A phosphate balance is calculated by assessing phosphate contributions from both changes in land use and changes in occupation, each requiring specific methodologies and guidance.
This assessment is crucial for understanding the overall phosphate impact of development projects and for achieving nutrient neutrality.
Once the ‘phosphate balance’ for a development has been established, it is likely that there will be a residual amount of ‘Total Phosphorus’ which must be offset elsewhere in order for the development to be deemed nutrient neutral.
INDUSTRY LEADING, PROVEN RESULTS
WCI has produced over 300 Nutrient Neutrality Assessment Strategy reports for a wide range of developments across many Local Planning Authorities including:
Identifying how and where this offset is achieved is called the Mitigation Strategy and can include ‘on-site’ (within the development boundary) or ‘off-site’ (on third party land) offsets.
Offsets can also be based on land use mitigation (changing land use to reduce phosphates) or occupation mitigation (improving on the phosphates discharged from a site through the foul drainage system).
Whatever the stage in your planning journey, WCI has the expertise to help minimise delays.
reports provide developers with clear guidance on the scale of the phosphates generated from the proposed development, options for mitigating these phosphates and probable costs.
Affected Areas
As of March 2022, 74 LPAs have received advice from Natural England across 27 catchments. This equates to 14% of England’s land area.
All developments that propose overnight accommodation are affected by this guidance, including new housing developments, hotels and camping sites.
If your development lies in, or near, the area shown in the adjacent map of affected LPAs, your development may be required to be nutrient neutral.
It is not the area covered by the LPA but the specific river catchments which define which developments must be nutrient neutral.
If you are in any doubt about whether your development is affected, give the WCI Nutrient Neutrality team a call and we can help guide you.
YEARS IN BUSINESS
NNAMS DELIVERED
DEVELOPMENTS UNLOCKED
The WCI Difference
WCI complement all agreed phosphate strategies with a ‘Shadow Habitats Regulations Assessment (sHRA) to speed up the process of achieving Planning Approval as many LPAs also now require an applicant to provide a Shadow Habitats Regulations Assessment (sHRA) to determine a planning application.
Our reports provide developers with clear guidance on the scale of the phosphates generated from the proposed development, options for mitigating these phosphates and probable costs.
CASE STUDIES
NNAMS / sHRA Enquiry
WCI is an industry leading provider of Nutrient Neutrality Assessment Strategy (NNAMS) reports & Shadow Habitats Regulations Assessments (sHRA) to determine a planning application, whatever stage you're at, WCI can help.