Cumberland Council is part of the Nutrient Neutrality Northwest Partnership along with Westmorland and Furness Council and Lake District National Park Authority. The partnership works with environmental organisations, and agencies to deliver innovative solutions that enable sustainable development while safeguarding our natural habitats.
Nutrient Neutrality (NN) is a vital approach to protecting Cumbria's rivers and lakes from excess nutrients like phosphates, which can harm biodiversity and water quality in four specific areas:
The Nutrient Neutrality Northwest Partnership has appointed Burrow Environmental and Our Rivers (a joint venture between Nutrient Neutral and Hutchinson Environmental Services) as the approved contractors for the delivery of the Package Treatment Plant (PTP) Replacement Programme across nutrient neutrality catchments in Cumbria.
This programme plays a crucial role in delivering nutrient mitigation measures across the region, supporting sustainable development while protecting the local environment. It is being delivered using a portion of the £16.4 million awarded to the Partnership from the Government’s Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund.
The scheme will directly assist developers in meeting nutrient neutrality requirements, helping to unlock stalled planning applications and contributing to improved water quality in Cumbria's rivers and protected habitats. By upgrading outdated or underperforming private wastewater systems—such as septic tanks and small treatment plants—the project aims to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering watercourses, one of the main contributors to poor ecological health.
The two contractors were selected following a competitive tender process. Burrow Environmental held early engagement events in late May and early June, while Our Rivers has now commenced work and will carry out their own community engagement in the coming weeks. Both contractors bring a wealth of experience in environmentally sensitive infrastructure and wastewater management, having supported similar projects across the UK.
A nutrient credit scheme, through which developers will be able to purchase credits generated by the programme, is expected to launch in the second half of 2025.
Councillor Bob Kelly, Executive Member for Environment and Planning at Cumberland Council, said:
“Cumberland Council is a key partner in this programme, which addresses one of the biggest environmental and planning challenges facing our region. The issue has caused significant delays for the authority in housing development in parts of Cumberland. These works will not only help improve water quality and protect our natural environment, but they will also support the delivery of that much-needed housing.”
Further updates and information about the programme will be published on the Partnership’s website in the coming weeks.