Water efficiency standards

CC3: Water efficiency standards 1. Development proposals must demonstrate how they incorporate water efficiency measures to minimise consumption of water. 2. All new dwellings are required to achieve a water efficiency standard of 85 litres per person per day – or future tighter national requirement. 3. Proposals for non-residential development (new, extended or redeveloped) are required to achieve full credits in the BREEAM water calculator, with at least three credits under the BREEAM “Wat01” measure, or a future equivalent replacement nationally accepted standard. 4. Proposals involving the refurbishment or change of use of existing building are required to undertake retrofitting to increase water efficiency to the standards set out in 2. and 3. above. 7.545 The South-East region is an area classed as under serious water stress by the Environment Agency28. Water supply services are provided by Affinity Water, Anglian Water and Thames Water. Water companies are required to undertake measures to reduce and to minimise the use of potable water and are working with the Environment Agency to reduce the abstraction of water from rivers and chalk aquifers. 7.546 The chalk aquifer underlying the Chilterns supplies water to millions of people in Southeast England. It also supplies the surface waters and springs that flow into the Chilterns’ nine Chalk streams. In November 2025, Buckinghamshire Council unanimously passed a cross-party motion on protecting Buckinghamshire’s chalk streams. The motion recognises the international importance of chalk streams and commits the council to protect and restore them, and implement measures to avoid over abstraction, such as tight water use. The local plan including the approach to water efficiency will help to sustain the aquifer in the long term. 28 Water_stressed_areas___final_classification_2021.odt 7.547 Planning can also help to mitigate the effects of climate change on water scarcity by setting ambitious standards for water efficiency to minimise water demand from development. To achieve this, new development which results in the creation of one or more dwellings is required to be built to high standards of water efficiency using water efficient fixtures and fittings, or rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling. 7.548 The Environment Agency, Natural England and several water companies (in our area, Anglian Water and Affinity Water) have produced guidance on shared standards 29 as part of Water Resource East. These standards for the whole of Buckinghamshire are set out in the policy. 7.549 Water efficiency improvements to the existing building stock where planning permission is required including changes of use to residential can also help offset the demand from new homes. 7.550 The council supports rainwater harvesting as a contribution to water efficiency through building design, landscape and parking areas. 7.551 These water efficiency standards are set at a point in time, based on current evidence. Developers will need to use the most up to date information available, in consultation with the Council and the water companies. 29 shared-standards-in-water-efficiency-for-local-plans.pdf ----- 1. Appendices (see separate documents) Appendix A – Monitoring Framework Appendix B - Glossary Appendix C - Schedule of saved and replaced policies. Appendix D – Policies Map Appendix E – Housing Strategy Tables Appendix F – Housing Trajectory Appendix G – Gypsy and Traveller Trajectory Appendix H – Employment Trajectory Appendix I – Parking Standards Appendix J – Design Code Appendix K – List of small housing allocations Appendix L - List of Strategic and Key Employment Areas Appendix M - ANGST standards Appendix N – Biodiversity Net Gain delivery Appendix O – Health Care Contributions Appendix P – Accessible Space Standards Appendix Q – Ecological Enhancement Features …………………………………………..…………………..End of Document ---------------------------------------------------------