Apply for consent to alter a watercourse

1.1 The Applicant and Agent

Enter the details of the applicant. If there is an Agent, we will contact them about the application. The address you give in this section must be the address the Land Drainage Consent will be registered to and this address will be shown on any Land Drainage Consent we grant. We cannot process any application for consent if you do not provide a UK registered address.

1.2:  Type of Applicant

Please tick one box to indicate the type of Applicant you are.

1.3: Applications from companies

Fill in this section if you would like to apply for Land Drainage Consent as a registered company. To apply as a company, you must be a company formally registered with Companies House. Any Land Drainage Consent will be in the company name (as registered with Companies House).

1.4: Applications from groups of individuals

Fill in this section if you would like to apply as a charity, group of individuals, club or partnership. Enter the name of your group. The name you give will be the name on any Land Drainage Consent we grant. If you are a limited liability partnership, please give the full name.

1.5: Applications from public bodies

Fill in this section if you would like to apply as a public body such as a Local Authority or an NHS trust. Please give us the full name of the public body and specify the type of public body. The name you give will be the name on any Land Drainage Consent we grant.

1.6: Your interest in the land

We need to know what interest you have in the land where the works will be carried out (for example, whether you are the landowner or tenant). If any work will be carried out on land that you do not own, written permission from the landowner must be obtained and submitted as part of the application. Without this, the application will not be processed.

We need to be able to easily identify where the proposed works will be carried out. Please give details of the location of the works and attach a location plan (ideally at a scale of 1:1250) with the works and structures clearly marked.

You can find the Grid Reference of your site from our web mapping system. Go to our online mapping system. Search for your site using the location search box or ‘drop the pin’ tool on your site location. Hover over the pin and the grid references will be shown in the pop-up box in the map window.

You can find the names of any Ordinary Watercourses in Leicester on our Flood Risk Map.

It is important that you accurately describe the works you propose to do and the reason for why you are doing the works. Please specify:

• any new or altered structures, including their dimensions
• whether they are temporary or permanent
• the materials to be used
• any other relevant information

If necessary, this can be provided on a separate document, but it must be referenced in this section of the application form.

Please tell us the number of structures you need consent for, clearly stating whether they are temporary or permanent in nature.

Structures include but not limited to; culverts, bridges, weirs, dams, headwalls (inlets and outfalls), walls, bank reinforcement (erosion protection), channel alteration (coir rolls or physical excavations), trash and security screens, booms (litter and oil control), piers, launching points, temporary working platforms, scaffolding and equipment.

To adequately consider your proposals we need to receive plans and drawings, drawn to scale by a competent engineer or surveyor. These must be referenced to Ordnance Datum Newlyn (the height above sea level) and be no larger than A0 size. The following plans and sections must be provided:

Location plan: This must be at an appropriate scale, which must be clearly stated and be based on an Ordnance Survey map. It must clearly show the general location of the site where the proposed work will be carried out and include general features and street names. It must also identify the watercourse or other bodies of water in the surrounding area.

Site plan (general arrangement): The plan must be drawn to an appropriate scale, which must be clearly stated and must show:

• The existing site, including any watercourse
• Your proposals
• The position of any structures which may influence local river hydraulics including; bridges, pipes and ducts, ways of crossing the watercourse, culverts and screens, embankments, walls, outfalls; existing fish passes, or structures intended to allow fish to pass upstream and downstream.

Cross sections: Where works encroach into any watercourse, you should provide cross sections of the structures and areas upstream and downstream of the proposed works. Cross sections should be drawn as if looking downstream on the watercourse and should include details of any existing and proposed structures and water levels.

Longitudinal sections: must be taken along the centre line of the watercourse and must show the existing and proposed structures including water levels and riverbed levels. The section must extend both upstream and downstream of the proposed work.

Detailed drawings: These are to show details of the existing and proposed works and structures. These must present:

• The designs of the proposed structures
• The location of any proposed service pipes or cables which may affect the future maintenance of the
• Details of any landscaping (tree, shrub, hedgerow, pond or wetland area) that may be affected by the proposed works
• Details of any planting or seeding
• Dams and weirs. We need a plan showing the extent of the water impounded (held back) under normal and flood conditions so that we can assess the possible effect on land next to the river. The plan must also show any land drainage

You need separate consents for the permanent works and any temporary works that do not form part of the permanent works. Temporary works could include, for example, cofferdams (watertight enclosures) across a watercourse, or temporary diversions of water while work is carried out.

We need to know when you are proposing to carry out the work and how long you think it will take. When you are planning the work, you need to make sure that you have allowed enough time for us to consider your application. Failure to do this may lead to the refusal of your application and consent.

For any work (temporary or permanent), we need to know how you are proposing to carry out the work. You will need to send a 'Construction Method Statement' as a separate document, and it should be referenced in this section of the application form.

A 'Construction Method Statement' must:

• Provide a step-by-step description of how the works are to be completed and this should be completed sequentially for each structure (temporary and permanent). 
• Clearly define the Phasing of the works, if applicable and provide dates for each of the phases. 
• Identify the plant and equipment that will be used, where and how it will be stored and secured (in areas of lowest flood risk) and outline the measures that will be integrated to protect the flood plain and riverbanks of the river (compaction, furrowing, stability and collapse etc.) from the movement and operation of any plant (use of track matting etc.) 
• Define the procedure for managing flood risk throughout the duration of the works; use of flood risk warning and weather alerts, stopping of work and evacuation procedures (personnel, plant and materials) in response to any potential flooding events. It should also outline how temporary works are to be managed/removed prior to an event and their security during an event if they cannot be removed. 
• Refer to how risks associated with confined watercourses and access are to be managed throughout the duration of the works. 
• Outline measures to minimise excess sediment, vegetation and any materials entering the watercourse and any measures that will be utilised to minimise blockage of the watercourse and/or associated infrastructure such as culvert. 
• Outline measures to protect private/public property in and around the proposed work area, as well as the procedure for reporting and recording damaged to private/public property.  
• Clearly outline the processes and controls to minimise the possibility of pollution incidents and the procedure for reporting a pollution incident. For example, identify where materials and waste will be stored and managed and how the condition of the plant will be maintained to minimize the chance of petrochemical spills. All pollution incidents are to be reported to the Environment Agency. 
• Refer to any ecology and biodiversity protection that are required. 
• Define any other Environmental organisations that have been consulted regarding the developments proposals, the reasoning and the outcome; Environment Agency (environmental permits), Natural England (Protected species and designations), Canals and Rivers Trust (permissions), other Leicester City Council departments (i.e., Nature Conservation and Flooding and Drainage) etc. 
• Provide suitable contact information for use in the instance that a site visit or clarifications are required. 

Each Construction Method Statement is specific to the scope of works and in some cases, amendments may be required based on feedback from the Leicester City Council. This is to ensure that:

• risk is adequately managed,
• the safety of personnel, equipment and the wide water environment
• protection of the watercourse, its existing structures and the flood plain.

Please tick the appropriate boxes on the application form. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions, you will probably need an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency before work can begin. A minimum of 3 months is required for an Environmental Permit application to be completed. It is your responsibility to make sure you obtain the necessary permits and consents. Failure to do this could delay the work or lead to fines and prosecution.

Please provide details of any planning permissions you may have or are applying for that relate to this application and provide any planning application numbers.

You can find out whether you need planning permission as part of your proposal by visiting Do I need planning permission?’.

We need to know who will be responsible for maintenance during construction and after the work has finished. This is for enforcement purposes.

We have a legal duty to protect and improve the environment, so we must consider the environmental effects of your proposal. You may be required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to be granted consent. Particularly if the site has any national or local nature conservation designations. Under The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, we must make sure that Land Drainage Consent does not have a direct or indirect negative effect on any site specified in the regulations, including:

• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s)
• Designated Special Areas of Conservation (SAC’s)
• Special Protection Areas (SPA’s)
• Listed Ramsar sites
• Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM’s)

You may be required to consult Natural England as part of your application and any correspondence from Natural England must be submitted as part of the application.

See: Environmental Impact Assessment - GOV.UK.

Tick the relevant documents in this section so that we know what you are submitting with the application.

By signing this section, you are declaring that, as far as you know, the information you have provided, including the map and any supporting documents, is true. We will not accept any application, where the declaration has not been signed.

Where applying as a company which has trustees, all trustees must sign the declaration.

Where applying as a limited company, a company secretary or a director must sign the declaration.

The fee for Land Drainage Consent is £50 as defined within Section 23 of the Land Drainage Act (1991). The fee is charged upon completion of the application and is completed online.

Any application received without prior payment, will not be valid until payment has been received.