Protection of Groundwater
Policy NR1
Permission for development which, in the
opinion of both the Council and the Environment Agency, poses an
unacceptable risk to the quality of groundwater will be
refused.
2.61 Groundwater resources are an invaluable
source of water, as well as sustaining the base flow of rivers.
Some activities such as the disposal of effluent in soakaways, land
filling of unsealed sites over bedrock, the disturbance of
contaminated sites, or inappropriate storage of chemicals can
result in ground water pollution. Similarly, abstraction and
dewatering can affect quantities available while engineering works
can obstruct ground water flow within an aquifer. Part of the
District includes a major sandstone aquifer and there are a number
of defined protection zones relating to public water supplies. The
Council will ensure protection of groundwater resources, drawing
upon guidance from the Environment Agency.
