River Mease update

We are currently receiving a high number of planning applications which is resulting in delays to our usual response times. We are determining applications and responding to enquiries in the order they are received. We will respond as soon as possible.
Trent Rivers Trust have produced a film (long version and short version) regarding the ongoing works in relation to the Mease. You will notice that it includes an interview with our ex-colleague Kevin Exley, and South Derbyshire are one of the credited partners in the film. It can be viewed via the TRT website and is also on YouTube.

It has recently been announced that the project to pump out treated foul flows from two key Sewage Treatment Works at Packington and Measham in the Mease catchment has been put back to 2027.

This new deadline has been agreed by Severn Trent Water, which is responsible for constructing the pipeline to take foul flows out of the catchment, following discussions with the Environment Agency, who want to assess the likely effect of the transfer of treated effluent on downstream river flows prior to construction works commencing.

To allow for this assessment the timetable for completing the works has been put back to 2027. Previously the pump out was agreed to take place by the end of 2025.

The extended completion date could affect the delivery of new homes, business premises and infrastructure, across the River Mease catchment.

Schemes that already have planning permission, will not be affected by this announcement. 

For South Derbyshire this means that development in Overseal, Netherseal, Lullington, Smisby and a small area in Boundary (near Woodville) could be affected.  However, South Derbyshire District Council, working with our partners, is seeking to identify a number of ‘bespoke’ projects over the coming months to remove phosphate from the River Mease Special Area of Conservation and its tributaries. 

Once identified, these projects will need to be funded by developers, as was the case with previous developer contribution schemes.

However, in contributing to these works, developers will be able to ensure that the effects of their development on the Special Area of Conservation are fully mitigated by removing an amount of phosphate from the river equivalent to that which will be generated by their development and will allow for continued growth.

Additional information on the River Mease SAC including the projects being undertaken to improve the condition of the River can be found at the River Mease Partnership website.

You can find out information using the following links, including correspondence from the Environment Agency (pdf, 105kb) outlining the flow monitoring work intented to be carried out, the joint statement (pdf, 399kb)between the Environment Agency, Natural England and Severn Trent Water and a frequently asked questions document (pdf, 624kb) prepared by the River Mease Partnership.

Those communities in South Derbyshire not highlighted above are unaffected by these issues.

Additional River Mease information

The organisations in the River Mease Partnership are involved in a number of ongoing initiatives and activities to improve the River Mease SAC, from improving its water quality through the management of the river and its catchment, to providing a better environment for wildlife.

Further information is available about the River Mease at the River Mease Partnership website

Survey work by the Environment Agency revealed the quality of the water in the river was poor, mainly due to high phosphorous levels.

As a precaution against increasing phosphorous levels, since 2009, new development in the area has been restricted, leading to delays in planning applications and a knock-on effect on the local economy.

In 2016 the River Mease Programme Board* adopted an updated Developer Contributions Strategy (DCS2) to enable developers to pay a direct contribution to keeping water quality high in the River Mease. The principle is a simple one – the polluter pays. Any development which will have an impact on the amount of waste water going into the sewerage system – and therefore which will have a knock on effect on discharges into the River Mease from water treatment works – will have to make a contribution to the costs. The scheme directly funds the actions that will help to improve the water quality and so will improve the environment for wildlife and people alike.

The developer contribution scheme is over and above actions which have also been taken to impose stricter limits on phosphorous levels at a number of local water treatment works.  Together these limits and the developer contribution scheme will have a combined impact on reducing phosphorous levels in the river and its habitats.

*The River Mease Programme Board is made up of representatives from: The Environment Agency, Natural England, Severn Trent Water, North West Leicestershire District Council, South Derbyshire District Council and Lichfield District Council.