Notice

Yorkshire Water Services Limited (YW): application made to abstract water and impound water

Published 14 December 2017

This notice was withdrawn on 12 February 2018

The consultation period for this application has ended. You can view current licences on the Public Registers.

Applies to England

Details of the application

Yorkshire Water Services Limited (YW) has applied to the Environment Agency for four licences.

The Environment Agency is giving notice of the applications, in accordance with Section 37 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and Regulation 6 of the Water Resources (Abstraction and Impounding) Regulations 2006.

The four applications are to allow YW to vary the release of water (compensation flow) from Lower Laithe, Ponden, Leeshaw and Leeming reservoirs following flow trials carried out by YW since March 2014. The purpose of the flow trials was to secure appropriate flow regimes for Bridgehouse Beck and the River Worth.

Two of the applications are to vary abstraction licence serial numbers 2/27/14/009 and 2/27/14/058 which authorise the abstraction of water from Lower Laithe Reservoir at National Grid Reference SE 01 36 and Ponden Reservoir at SD 99 37. Two applications are for impoundment licences to obstruct or impede the flow of Leeshaw Water at SE 06 35 (Leeshaw Reservoir), and Midge Holme Beck and Leeming Water at SE 03 34 (Leeming Reservoir).

The construction and compensation flow from Leeshaw Reservoir and Leeming Reservoir is currently specified in the Bradford Waterworks Act 1869 (the Act). YW have applied to revoke sections 5, 6, 11 and 13 of the Act. The details currently controlled in those sections are either no longer considered to be required or would be controlled by the two impoundment licences.

YW are proposing to vary the compensation flows from the four reservoirs as follows:

• A usual combined compensation flow from Ponden and Lower Laithe of 6,000 m3/d maintained at Springhead Weir on the River Worth.
• When reservoir stocks are above YW’s control lines at both Leeshaw and Leeming reservoirs, the compensation flow from Leeshaw Reservoir into Dunkirk Beck and from Leeming Reservoir into Leeming Water is 4,000 m3/d from each, giving a combined flow of 8,000 m3/d into Bridgehouse Beck.
• When Leeming stocks are above the control line and Leeshaw stocks are below, there is still a combined compensation flow of 8,000 m3/d, with 5,250 m3/d released from Leeming Reservoir and 2,750 m3/d from Leeshaw Reservoir.
• When stocks at both Leeming and Leeshaw are below the control lines, the compensation flows are 3,250 m3/d from Leeming and 2,750 m3/d from Leeshaw, and the combined release reduces to 6,000 m3/d.
• When the combined compensation flow from Leeming and Leeshaw reservoirs is reduced to 6,000 m3/d, the compensation flows from Ponden and Lower Laithe are increased to maintain a flow of 8,000 m3/d into the River Worth.
• There is no net change in flows downstream of the confluence of the River Worth with Bridgehouse Beck at NGR SE 03610 38040 when compared to pre-trial flows.

How to view the application

You can view the application and supporting documents , during normal office hours at the Environment Agency:

Lateral House
8 City Walk
Leeds
LS11 9AT

You can view a summary of the application, during normal office hours, on the Public Register at:

Lateral House
8 City Walk
Leeds
LS11 9AT

How to comment on the application

Send any representation about these applications in writing, quoting the name of the applicant and Reference Numbers NPS/WR/027392, NPS/WR/027393, NPS/WR/027394 and NPS/WR/027396 to the Environment Agency, at:

Permitting and Support Centre
Water Resources Team
Quadrant 2
99 Parkway Avenue
Sheffield
S9 4WF

Or by email to: PSC-WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk

By 11 January 2018.

For advice about how to make a representation call 03708 506 506 .