EA publishes guidance on competing water abstraction licence proposals
The Environment Agency (EA) has published guidance on how it determines applications for water abstraction licences when there are competing proposals to use the same water source in England. When multiple applicants seek to abstract from the same river catchment or groundwater body and supply is limited, the EA may grant a licence to one or more applicants, refuse all applications, or impose restrictive conditions. Applicants may be asked to share or split the available water, provided such arrangements are in the public interest, enforceable, and environmentally sustainable. In cross-border catchments, the EA works with Natural Resources Wales or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to reach decisions. Competing proposals are identified through planning consultations, pre-application discussions, or licence submissions, and applicants may need to provide additional information. If proposals are at different stages, determinations may be delayed to allow fair comparison. Applications that fail to meet environmental or public interest standards are refused, though revised submissions may be considered.