Reuse scheme gets development consent boost

The environment secretary, Steve Barclay, has given a direction under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 for Thames Water’s proposed Teddington water recycling scheme to go down the development consent order route.

Thames requested this in November. Strategic partnerships director, Nevil Muncaster , explained the Development Consent Order (DCO) process “provides the most effective consenting route for securing the earliest delivery of the project in the early 2030s. It would provide the most efficient mechanism for securing the extensive range of statutory powers, permissions, consents and licences needed to deliver this significant and complex project. The alternative town and country planning route, coupled with a multitude of other separate licences, power and consents, carries a risk of substantial delay to the delivery of this critical infrastructure.”

Water recycling does not automatically qualify as a nationally significant infrastructure project under the Planning Act 2008, meaning a direction from the secretary of state is required to bring a water recycling scheme into the DCO process.

The direction was given without prejudice to the secretary of state’s consideration of any application for development consent made in relation to Teddington project. Thames hopes to submit an application in 2026.

The Teddington Direct River Abstraction Project would provide 75Ml a day, as a drought resilience scheme, by abstracting water from the Thames for transfer via an existing underground tunnel to the Lee Valley reservoirs. Highly treated recycled water would then be conveyed in a new pipeline from Mogden sewage treatment works to compensate for the additional water taken from the river to protect the environment and wildlife.