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About the Regional Plan
WRE’s Regional Water Resources Plan for Eastern England is the first of its kind produced in the UK. It is one of five regional plans produced by regional groups across England and parts of Wales, but uniquely takes into account the needs of all water-using sectors in the region. The plan sets out how to resolve the projected deficits in the public water supply in ways that deliver co-benefits for all sectors and the environment across the eastern region. It is focused on improving the region’s drought and climate resilience, and in particular, leaving more water in the environment to support nature’s recovery. It builds on two previous iterations of the plan published for consultation in January and November 2022, and has been revised, updated and improved following the feedback we received.
Background to regional planning
In 2020, the Environment Agency published the first National Framework for Water Resources, which is due to be updated in 2025, a strategy which brings together two of the pledges set out in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan:
- To leave the environment in a better state for the next generation; and
- To increase the nation’s resilience to drought and minimise interruptions to water supply.
The National Framework sets out the scale of action needed to ensure resilient water supplies for future generations, and describes a greater level of ambition for restoring, protecting and improving the environment. The report outlines a set of requirements for the production of regional plans, some of which are specific to each region, and others which are nationwide requirements.
WRE is one of five regional planning groups covering England and parts of Wales tasked under the National Framework to produce a regional plan for its region. Because each region faces its own water security challenges, each regional group must produce a plan which mitigates the uncertainty and pressures in their respective region, while building resilience to future scenarios. Developing the regional plans requires a joined-up and collaborative approach across the country because the regional plans must add up to meet the nation’s need for water over the long term.
WRE is one of five regional planning groups covering England and parts of Wales tasked under the National Framework to produce a regional plan for its region. Because each region faces its own water security challenges, each regional group must produce a plan which mitigates the uncertainty and pressures in their respective region, while building resilience to future scenarios. Developing the regional plans requires a joined-up and collaborative approach across the country because the regional plans must add up to meet the nation’s need for water over the long term.
In January 2023, the government and regulators confirmed a second round of regional planning to conclude in 2028 to inform the next water sector Price Review in 2029 (PR29). To inform the second round, the Environment Agency will publish a revised National Framework for Water Resources in 2025.
WRE’s Regional Plan
WRE’s Regional Water Resources Plan for Eastern England, published in 2023 was the first of its kind produced in the UK. The plan sets out how to resolve the projected deficits in water supply, in ways that deliver co-benefits for all sectors and the environment across the eastern region. It focused on improving the region’s drought and climate resilience, and importantly, leaving more water in the environment to support nature’s recovery.
WRE has committed to producing an annual update on progress towards the Regional Plan. The first, 2024 Progress Report, was published in January 2025 and showed key steps in the delivery of actions including further agriculture-related support, better understanding of non-household water needs and steps to understand how to achieve the needs of the water environment in our region.
Work has now started on the data, information and engagement to build towards the Second Regional Plan, due to be published in 2029.
Regional Planning Process
There are a number of key areas that form the creation of the Regional Plan. These are created in conjunction with stakeholders across all sectors and link with sector plans, for example water company Water Resource Management Plan, agriculture sector planning, energy plans and wider.
The core areas being developed to feed into the Regional Plan include:
- Sector information – current status, future scenarios, pressures and opportunities for each sector, including public water supply, agriculture, energy, navigation, leisure and the environment
- Demand forecasts – predicting the amount of water a company estimates households, businesses and other users will need in the future.
- Demand management options – policies or measures that help control or influence the consumption or waste of water.
- Supply forecast – forecast of the water supplies that are achievable from existing and approved planned sources, using existing licence limits and conditions and existing infrastructure.
- Supply-side options – schemes (termed ‘options’) to increase supplies and/or reduce the demand for water.
- Sustainable catchments – analysis of the environmental requirements in a catchment under environmental destination and the measures to achieve the outcomes
- Decision making – an opportunity to evaluate all available options in a catchment and decide on the best plan to adopt for all water users
Timeline
Key dates and information on the timeline to feed into the Regional Plan are included below:
Water resource supply schemes
To help shape a resilient regional water resources plan, WRE are inviting water users to share their ideas on improving water resources, demand management, or leakage. Submissions will be considered for inclusion in the regional modelling and decision-making process to better represent the opportunities available to catchment water users. For more information on how to submit your ideas, please click here.
Catchment planning
WRE are working with stakeholders at a catchment level to discuss and share information about current and future water resource needs in the short, medium and long term. Collaborative planning for future options and schemes that enable water resource availability for all users will then feed into the Regional Plan and wider planning schemes.
Environmental destination
To define and safeguard water needs and ensure we meet future demands, environmental destination (ED) provides an outline of the long-term ambition for our region. ED aims to achieve environmental flows that allow for the restoration of degraded freshwater ecosystems and resilient ecosystems in the future. The aim is to achieve this, whilst allowing water abstractors and users to be able to have access to water for businesses and our communities.
Using a series of scenarios, environmental destination defines the outcome of legislative, policy and government commitments to achieve an improvement in the current abstraction pressures and future pressures, for example from climate change.
WRE are working with water users and stakeholders across the region to understand the environmental destination requirements and to develop solutions to achieve the ambition.
Nature based solutions
WRE is committed to promoting nature-based solutions (NbS) as part of the package of solutions in the regional plan. Nature-based solutions, such as run-off attenuation features, sustainable soil management practices and floodplain connection, can all have a positive impact on water resources, in addition to a wide range of measures. WRE are monitoring run-off attenuation features in the Cam and Wensum to see their effect on water resources, have developed monitoring guidance and are funding feasibility studies for NbS in Norfolk.
Get involved
Would you like more information about the regional planning process or have an idea or option to feed in? If so, please get in touch with WRE via: contact@wre.org.uk
