NI WATER
FORMATION OF NEW SOLUTIONS ENGINEERING TEAMWILL AID DEVELOPERS AT EARLY STAGE OF APPLYING FOR PLANNING APPROVAL… NIWater launch help for Developers
N I Water has launched a new set of initiatives to help Developers with their planning applications. Chronic underfunding of NI Water infrastructure has been well documented, and we are now seeing the impact of this in our towns and cities. New housing and commercial developments are being halted or delayed due to the inability of water and wastewater systems to cope in over 100 towns and cities across Northern Ireland. Davy McGrath, Head of Developer Services at NI Water explained: “Over £2bn is required over the next business plan just to address this problem. For many areas, investment will be required over a 12-to-18-year period. “However, the impact is being felt on the wider construction industry now, so we need to act to help Developers. We have therefore put in place a new Solutions Engineering Team and a new 3-step Pre-Planning Enquiry process. The key message is that we want to speak with Developers before they apply for planning approval. The larger the plans and development ambitions, the more important it is to consult with us at an early stage.” DRAINAGE SOLUTION AT ROE WOOD CONSTRUCTION SITE An example of how Northern Ireland Water’s Solutions Engineering Team helped progress site construction was evident at the Braidwater Group’s Roe Wood development in Limavady. Michael Sweeney, Technical Manager for the Braidwater Group, confirmed the difficulties faced and explained how they were overcome. “The Roe Wood planning submission was made in 2016 with full approval granted in 2019 but we still had no drainage solution which was delaying the commencement of construction.”
The Braidwater Group’s Roe Wood development in Limavady.
“The introduction of the Solutions Engineering Team allowed an innovative approach to be agreed, formulated and applied which ultimately ensured the delivery of Roe Wood.”
He added: “We had investigated a range of options to ensure the delivery of these much-needed homes in Limavady, but it wasn’t until we had engagement with NI Water’s new Solutions Engineering Team that we really started to see progress.” Mr Sweeney explained that once the team was established, Roe Wood was taken on as a pilot scheme, and a wastewater impact assessment was carried out and a Solution Engineering Report was produced, which not only confirmed the need for a solution but proposed a range of options. A solution was found which enabled progress on the first phase of homes and work is ongoing to ensure a separate storm offset solution will be in place for the remaining phases. Close to 20 families have moved in to date and in total, over 200 homes will be built over the coming years. The Technical Manager concluded: “The introduction of the Solutions Engineering Team allowed an
innovative approach to be agreed, formulated and applied which ultimately ensured the delivery of Roe Wood. We would highly recommend that contact is made with the team at the earliest possible time, given the unique nature of every local network and complex process involved in order to reach a satisfactory outcome.”
Further information on the new process can be found at www.niwater.com
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