Nutrient Management in Planning and Development
All Wales Calculator
The All Wales Nutrient Budget Calculator is a free tool for assessing the likely nutrient impact of development proposals. It helps applicants:
- Identify whether nutrient neutrality is required
- Calculate total nutrient load in kg/yr
- Plan appropriate mitigation based on site specifics
We recommend using this tool. Use the calculator if your development:
- Lies within a SAC catchment
- Increases discharge to a WwTW draining to a SAC
- Increases overnight stays or visitors/workers from outside the catchment
Supporting resources:
Mitigation Guidelines (Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau)
Mitigation Measures
All mitigation must be:
- Based on the best available evidence
- Precautionary in nutrient reduction assumptions
- Effective beyond reasonable scientific doubt
- Legally secured in perpetuity (80–125 years)
- Maintained and monitored over time
We require applicants to submit:
- Details of how the measure prevents adverse SAC effects
- Nutrient neutrality calculations
- Implementation plans and delivery roles
- Maintenance responsibilities
- Monitoring strategy
See NRW’s Phosphate Planning Advice for full requirements.
We remain committed to supporting developers and finding practical, fast, and fair ways to unlock sustainable development in affected catchments.
