Agenda item

Dr Sarah Groves-Phillips, Corporate Manager presented an update on the phosphate risk register, which had since been downgraded to a service risk and a general update on the ongoing work. In January 2021, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) released advice to planning authorities on permitting development in riverine catchments of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) across Wales. This guidance effectively placed an embargo on most development within the river Teifi SAC catchment which encompassed over 50% of Ceredigion and 3 of the 6 main towns. Ceredigion County Council added this constraint to its corporate risk register shortly after and was forced to hold in abeyance a number of planning applications and put the Local Development Plan preparation on formal pause. An overview of the information shared at the Committee in October 2024 was provided along with an update on the work in the past few months as outlined in the report.

Nutrient Management had been on the Corporate Risk Register for some time and whilst the work of the service in monitoring, delivering improvements, leading by example had been comprehensive and had allowed some capacity for development across the Teifi catchment alongside partner work by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) and NRW. This development opportunity was still constrained and remained a critical challenge to economic growth. The potential release of Marine SAC guidance was a real risk to the economic growth of the county outside the Teifi catchment. Thus, it was important to continue to include the Nutrient risk on the register and maintain momentum and critical action on the project objectives. With that in mind, the risk register would be reviewed regularly and actions updated as projects moved forward. An overview of the current identified mitigating actions as outlined in the report was provided.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Dr Sarah Groves-Phillips. The main points raised were as follows:

·       It was not possible to directly compare Ceredigion’s data on the river Teifi to NRW’s data, as the method of testing was different. Citizens Science had been commissioned to undertake work, and the results would be available soon. NRW had access to Ceredigion's data and vice-versa, but it was not likely that NRW would use Ceredigion's data in their analysis.

·       In response to a query related to whether there was a notable difference in the levels of phosphate in the river Teifi following the restrictions imposed on the agricultural sector in the past year, it was noted that it was too early to say, and it would possibly take up to 7 years to come to a conclusion, however, the situation would be monitored. It was acknowledged that the main source of phosphates was due to the wastewater treatment plants.

·       The Nutrient Management Board (NMB) had not undertaken modelling work on how the river Teifi would look in a decade, however DCWW had done some work. Without a legislative framework in place, it was difficult to ensure actions were carried out. A part of the NMB work programme for the next year would include addressing gaps in data. 

·       Although the NMB had not undertaken any modelling on fish stock, NRW had done so and it appeared the fish stock had declined.

·       From the Officer’s understanding, legal guidance had been sought on the impact of the Marine SAC nationally prior to it being released. The Planning Service awaited confirmation on whether they had been successful in an SPF bid for additional funding to install water quality monitors in the marine environment countywide. This would allow the local authority to track nitrates in the Cardigan Bay SAC and develop mitigation strategies.

·       To date, no work had been done on any other river in Ceredigion due to funding, however, West Wales Rivers Trust operated across the county. It was noted that local angling clubs had a wealth of knowledge and could be invited to a future meeting if required.  In terms of mine restoration, NRW had the funding to undertake the work which was ongoing and would take time due to legacy minerals.

·       From a planning perspective, connecting houses to mains sewers was the preferred method, as there could be unintended consequences of chemical dosing plants. Since 2019, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) had been a requirement for any new housing development.

·       It was key that the local authority maintained a healthy relationship with organisations such as NRW and DCWW to ensure ambitions were driven forward. When data was published by other organisations, it was a case of quality checking, and making a judgement on the data available.

·       It was expected that DCWW would undertake the work required at the water treatment plant to meet the permit by the end of 2026 as outlined in their Asset Management Plan, but no planning application had been submitted to date.  In response to the Chair’s recommendation of writing a letter to DCWW to ask for assurance that the plants would be upgraded, the Officer confirmed she was happy to draft a letter if required.

·       The nutrient calculator developed by the NMB had been recognised nationally and had been due to be released across Wales in June 2024, although this had been delayed to April 2025 to allow for data matching.

·       There were no outstanding planning applications due to phosphates, although some applications that had been refused would have possibly been approved prior to the advice received by NRW in January 2021.

·       The Officer noted it was difficult to score the risk until the NRW guidance on the Marine SAC was released and the outcome for Ceredigion. Once the guidance was published, Officers would be in a position to review and put a plan in place.

Committee Members extended their thanks to Dr Sarah Groves-Phillips and the team for their work.

It was AGREED to note the report. </AI5>

<AI6>