The Water Abstraction (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022

These Regulations amend the Water Abstraction (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1047) (the “Transitional Regulations”) in England. The Transitional Regulations were made pursuant to amendments made by the Water Act2003 (c. 37)to the Water Resources Act1991 (c. 57)(“the 1991 Act”). Those amendments limited or removed certain exemptions from the restriction on abstraction in the 1991 Act (i.e. to limit or remove certain categories of abstraction for which a licence was not required). The Transitional Regulations provide a regime whereby certain abstractors who are not currently required to hold a licence to abstract water can obtain a licence. These Regulations extend the deadline by which the Environment Agency (as appropriate agency) must notify the applicant in writing of its decision on an application for a licence, from 31stDecember 2022 to 30th June 2023.