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The plans for each of the 10 RBD in England and Wales have the same structure and consist of:
- A cover letter from Defra, Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency, outlining the aims of the consultation
- A Main Consultation document
- A set of Annexes A to N
- – Current state of waters
- – Objectives for waters
- – Actions
- – Protected areas
- – Actions appraisal
- – Mechanisms for action
- – Pressures and risks
- – Climate change
- – Artificial and heavily modified waters
- – Refining water bodies
- – Economic analysis
- – Consultation and engagement
- – Competent authorities
- – Glossary
- A Draft Impact Assessment of the RBMP for the X River Basin District
- A Strategic Environmental Assessment of the dRBMP for the X River Basin District
The Main Consultation document
The contents page of the Main document indicates the key Chapters and lists the many Figures and Annexes related to the Plan.
- Introduction
- About the X River Basin District
- Environmental outcomes for the X river basin district
- The water environment now
- The objectives for waters in the X river basin district
- The X river basin district catchments in 2015
- Summary sector action plan
- Planning for changing conditions
- Further information
- Give us your views
Key Chapters
It is essential that the following key Chapters should be seen in order to address the questions posed by the Competent Authority.
Chapter 4 ‘The water environment now’ and Chapter 5 ‘The objectives for waters in the X river basin district’ give useful overviews at the RBD level of the current situation and the future objectives until 2015 and for the two subsequent cycles of the WFD implementation until 2027. The following significant issues are most frequently identified in River Basin Districts in England and Wales:
- Rural and urban diffuse pollution (including transport)
- Point source pollution
- Flow problems
- Alien species
- Physical modifications
Chapter 6 ‘The X river basin district catchments in 2015’ gives overview information on the status of waters now, and the objectives proposed, on a catchment by catchment basis. Detailed information about classification, on a water body by water body basis, including which elements of classification are causing failure of good status, is presented in the extensive Annex B.
Chapter 7 ‘Summary sector action plan’ summarises the impact assessment and highlights the key contributions from those who will work with the EA to deliver the actions in the plan. It also defines the scenarios used for the impact assessment:
- Scenario A - What is already happening and what will happen
- Scenario B - Additional actions that will happen if this plan is approved
- Scenario C - Actions that could happen if there was more certainty that they would be proportionate and feasible.
The Annexes
The Annexes to the Main document give more detail on the conditions in the river basin district, the actions proposed and the mechanisms that can be used to take forward these actions.
In particular, in order to understand the classification system used to assess the conditions of surface and groundwaters and to set future objectives, it is useful to consult Annex A: ‘Current state of waters in X River Basin District’ which describes the current status of surface waters and groundwater using labelled maps of the river basin district.
How do you find what the main concerns are in your locality?
To find out what the main concerns are in your locality so that you can take part in the consultation follow the steps below:
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1. Click on the Environment Agency’s (EA) ‘What’s in your backyard’ website:
(http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?ep=maptopics&la ng=_e)
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Select the type of water body:
River Basin Management Plans - Rivers
- Lakes
- Coastal waters
- Estuarine
- Groundwater
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Enter your post code or place name and click the ‘search’ box.
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Find the locality of interest on the map and zoom in. The map shows the current 2015 predicted ecological and chemical quality, and monitoring points.
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For further details click ‘View text version of all results’.
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2. Click on the EA’s website
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33106.aspx)
to find information within the draft RBMP
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Find the name of the River Basin District from the map of River Basin Districts in England and Wales:
(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/rbds_ew_1661654.pdf)
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Chapter 6 in the Main consultation document shows a map of the catchment divisions within the River Basin District.
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A summary of information about the status of waters and the objectives proposed are given for each catchment in Chapter 6.
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In Annex B ‘Objectives for waters in the X River Basin District’ there is also a map and a list of the catchments. Clicking on the list of the catchments above the map will take you directly to the details for the catchment.
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Each catchment section contains:
- a map showing the river and lake water bodies within the catchment;
- a table summarising proposed status objectives across the catchment;
- a table showing actions that have been proposed to benefit rivers and lakes in the catchment.
- tables, one per water body, detailing current status and proposed objectives and actions that are being proposed and which will benefit rivers and lakes in the catchment
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