Navigating Nutrient Neutrality with Nimbus

New Feature: Nutrient Neutrality Overlay

To get plans approved, as a developer, you’ll need to be in the loop and ensure your schemes are 'nutrient neutral'.  

At Nimbus, we are continually adding new features and datasets to the platform, giving you the comprehensive property information you need to identify potential risks quickly, increasing your chances of being successful. 

Introducing the new Nutrient Neutrality Overlay

Nutrient neutrality refers to an obligation on developers to make sure the amount of nutrient pollution (usually consisting of nitrates and phosphates) entering rivers doesn’t increase because of new property or land developments. 

Local Planning authorities have been advised that planning applications and plans in affected areas should be carefully considered, and so have now implemented mitigation plans to prevent an increase in nutrient levels in those watercourses beyond their current levels, limiting the number of new homes it can support the delivery of. 

This means it is essential to factor this into your next project, engaging with the local authority as soon as possible to ensure that your site can benefit from the valuable development capacity that mitigation creates before it is all allocated. 

How the Nutrient Neutrality Overlay will help you

Many developers may see this as an extra obstacle to securing planning permission for new housing developments on their land, however, using a tool like Nimbus Maps will make it possible to still secure consent.  

The mitigation plans planning consents are being delivered where nutrient neutrality areas are in operation, which is why at Nimbus Maps, we've created a nutrient neutrality overlay to provide you with access to the most up-to-date data on affected catchment areas, allowing you to be able to carry out the appropriate due diligence. 

By having a full overview of the area within Nimbus, you’ll be able to assess if the restrictions on new developments within affected catchment areas might make it easier to secure planning permission on land outside the catchment area, elsewhere in your search parameters. 

Note - Did you know you can now also request a full Local Search through our Client Solutions service, which covers radon risk together with a number of other hazards such as contaminated land, ground stability, air quality, etc? Find out more.​​

How to use it

Simply select the Location Analysis tool in the top right of the Nimbus Maps app, then select the Nutrient Neutrality overlay from the Planning policy dropdown menu.

The map will highlight Local Planning authorities affected by Nutrient neutrality. 

Want to learn more about how Nimbus Maps will help you assess potential land and property opportunities? Book a personalised demo today.