Defra confirms storm overflow plan publication date and amends date for laying before Parliament

Defra has confirmed its final Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan will be published in Parliament on 1 September. In a consultation document Defra reported that the plan would be laid before Parliament by 1 September. That has been moved to an unspecified date after 6 September when the current Parliamentary recess ends.

The draft plan was consulted on until May. It set targets for the reduction of storm overflow use, in keeping with Environment Act policy. In summary, the draft plan targeted:

• no ecological harm from discharges by 2050 (2045 for sensitive sites);

• disinfection for bathing sites; and

• that storm overflows must not discharge above an average of ten rainfall events per year by 2050.

It was envisaged that this will be delivered via £54bn of capital investment, delivered as a phased, long-term programme.

The draft attracted criticism from campaigners for doing too little too late.