The water and sewerage network in England and Wales needs continual maintenance and improvement to keep it operating efficiently and to keep up with ever tightening legislation. Where water pipes, sewers and associated apparatus are situated in private land, and where new assets (such as pipes, pumping stations and treatment works) need to be built, Fisher German’s Utilities and Infrastructure teams provide Land and Planning support to water companies to facilitate this work. Due to the importance of a public network for water supply and sewerage, access rights are built into legislation, to include the Water Industry Act 1991, allowing water companies to build these infrastructure assets in private land under Statutory Notice.
What does Fisher German do?
It is perhaps easy to think that we just serve notices/purchase land, agree compensation, and obtain planning permission because that is visible to external parties but it is so much more besides. We are an integral part of the supply chain offering advice and guiding project teams on programme, cost and rights under the relevant legislation from the early feasibility work through to completion of the project often months after construction has ended.
Projects often impact on a water company’s customers and working with those customers is a key part of our day to day activities. Behind the scenes though our project involvement includes:
CAD Mapping Services: to clearly identify all landowners and occupiers likely to be affected by the works and to create constraints maps to assist in route planning. Reviewing ownership deeds and tenancies for items that may restrict our options is also dealt with at this stage.
Land & Planning Designation Reviews: to identify and advise on the implications of crossing statutory designated areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Common Land and Conservation Areas.
Planning Policy Reviews: increasingly, new assets are at risk of interfering with land which may be being promoted for development. Our surveyors and planners work together using their knowledge and experience of developments to assess the impact and advise how the effect of a scheme can be mitigated.
Permitted Development Advice: assessing whether an infrastructure project requires planning consent or not.
Environmental lmpact Assessment: assessing whether a project is likely to cause significant environmental effects and therefore whether it is likely to require consent for development that would not usually be required.
Landowner Consultation: throughout the project we are often the main interface between the water company and the affected parties which will often include private landowners/occupiers, local authorities and protected undertakers (eg Network Rail). The water company will have a Code of Practice which is central to these discussions and advice to the water company on the reinstatement of agricultural land will form a significant part of our work.
Site Investigations: supporting access for, among other things, ground investigations, ecology and archaeology surveys.
Specialist Reports: building condition surveys, valuation, minerals and agricultural advice.
For further information on our work in the water industry or on the individual activities we undertake, please contact:
James Pegrum on 01785 273980 or email here
Evan Hughes on 01785 273998 or email here
