Nutrient Neutrality and Mitigation Strategies
Nutrient neutrality is one of the most common causes of planning delay for small and medium developments across England. Different LPAs, shifting guidance, and inconsistent calculations make the process difficult to navigate. At Water Design Engineers, we specialise in preparing Nutrient Neutrality Assessments (NNAMS) that are clear, defensible, and tailored to your site, helping you move forward with confidence.
Our Proven Process: The NNAMS Navigator™
No two NNAMS are ever identical. Each catchment and each site has its own complexities. That’s why we developed the NNAMS Navigator™ – our five-stage process for approaching every assessment with structure and consistency. The Navigator isn’t a DIY tool or calculator. It’s the framework we follow internally to make sure every NNAMS is thorough, aligned with planning requirements, and adapted to the unique conditions of your site.
The five stages of the NNAMS Navigator™ are:
- Stage 1 – Screening: Confirm whether nutrient neutrality applies, and which catchment rules are relevant.
- Stage 2 – Nutrient Budgets: Prepare nutrient budget calculations in the right order, with the correct inputs.
- Stage 3 – Mitigation: Identify potential mitigation solutions, then tailor them to your site’s specifics.
- Stage 4 – Submission: Structure the NNAMS report to be clear, defensible, and approval-ready.
- Stage 5 – Implementation: Ensure conditions, activation dates, and monitoring are planned to avoid delays later.
Download the NNAMS Navigator™ explainer to see how we apply this structured process.
Our NNAMS Services
We provide end-to-end support with nutrient neutrality, from identifying whether your site is in scope through to delivering a complete NNAMS ready for submission. Our service includes:
- Explaining what nutrient neutrality means for your site and why it matters.
- Clarifying why LPAs require NNAMS and the planning/legal context.
- Preparing NNAMS using the Navigator process, ensuring assessments are consistent while reflecting site-specific details.
- Advising on potential mitigation strategies, from on-site options to off-site credits, depending on your scheme and catchment.
Ready to Move Forward?
If your project is affected by nutrient neutrality, we can help. Contact our Environmental Engineer today for a free, no-obligation quote, or download the NNAMS Navigator™ explainer to see the structured process we follow on every assessment.
