CIL and waste water treatment works: - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)
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Wedi dechrau - Gorffenaf 2012
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CIL and waste water treatment works:
Within the Council's adminstrative area there are two waste water sewage undertakers operating. In order to achieve set water quality standards one option is to pool CIL funding to deliver improvements to sewage treatment works. However one of the sewage undertakers has stated that they cannot use CIL funding to do this while the second sewage undertaker is not aware of legislative reason as to why CIL cannot be used. The waste water sewage undertakers have their own plans for delivering improvements works which are produced on a 5 year cycle (Asset Management Plans). However water quality standards are evolving, meaning that works identified within Asset Management Plans are no longer sufficient to allow the projected level of development to proceed while ensuring the water quality standards. Is it acceptable for CIL to be used in such circumstances?
Hi I've been told by a water company operating in our area that they are unable to use CIL funding and that their funding comes from agreements with the Government and private customers. They have no intention for 'bidding' for CIL funds or getting projects onto the 123 Regulation List in our area. Harriet
Is this perhaps because they are private companies? I had a look at the regs, but couldn't find the sections on passing money to other organisations and what the restrictions are. In any case, if they can cope without CIL I would view that as a good thing! - one less cost to worry about!
Yes it is because they are private companies and have their own complex system of funding with Ofwat (regulator) and private customers.
A belated comment.. Generally speaking, the utility submits its plans for capital works to Offwat as part of their review. If the latter agree it, then the utility pays for the works and recoups the annualised equivalent of the cost through the water bills. Jenny, is this the sewage plant serving Keynsham etc? From memory this was covered in the Roger Tym report for the SW Counties some years ago. If so, I think that is what should happen because the need was identified years ago. Any CIL funding would effectively result in the utility being paid twice. If on the other hand the utility has not agreed the funding as part of the capital programme approved by Offwat then I think that they would be free to try and pay for it by other means. Note that this covers major new investment. Anything resembling maintenance should be paid for by the utility out of its own funds. When you speak to the utility' engineers you will often find that they are unfamiliar with the review mechanism or are simply chancing their luck, normally in an attempt to get maintenance works reclassified as capital. Hence the discrepancies.