The Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) is working to ensure that the Regional Spatial Strategy policies for water efficiency and use and national planning policies are reflected within Local Development Documents.
GO-East has been working with partners locally through Local Area Agreements to consider local area priorities and targets regarding climate change and adaption. Water efficiency and usage will form an essential element of local climate change action plans as they are developed by local areas. Through this process GO-East is also encouraging water companies to take a more partnership working approach to water efficiency and become more involved in Local Strategic Partnerships.
The Government Office for the East of England worked with the Environment Agency and Anglian Water to develop a Regional Water Partnership which was launched by Barbara Follett in March 2008. The partnership is the first of its kind in England. The Partnership consists of private sector businesses and regional public sector bodies including GO-East, the Environment Agency, the East of England Development Agency, the East of England Regional Assembly, Natural England, Consumer Council for Water, Anglian Water, Three Valleys, Thames Water, Tendring Hundred, Cambridge Water Company and Essex and Suffolk Water. At the launch Barbara Follett and the partnership representatives signed a concordat, a document which sets out the partnership aims and objectives as well as its purpose, governance and committment to joint working.
The Partnership's main aim is to join together spatial and water planning processes and the effective management of water resources both at a regional and local level to facilitate sustainable growth and adaption to environmental change. The Regional Water Partnership will bring together the existing good work in the region, including the work of Waterwise East (the centre of excellence on water efficiency issues) and the Regional Climate Change Partnership to develop a more strategic approach to water resource planning and efficiency.
The Regional Water Partnership will be supported by a Water Partnership Delivery Group which will be responsible for implementing the strategic direction and objectives of the Partnership.
