Unlock Planning with Confidence
Our nutrient mitigation scheme enables developers to secure planning permission in nutrient-sensitive catchments across the UK. Assessed by Natural England and trusted by LPAs, STS delivers practical, regulation-ready solutions that support sustainable development — without delay.
Planning Pressure in Protected Catchments
Many planning applications are stalled due to excess nitrates and phosphates entering rivers and wetlands. Local authorities are required to demonstrate nutrient neutrality before granting permission — placing the burden on developers. Our scheme provides a compliant route forward by offsetting wastewater from new homes with upgrades to existing rural systems.
A Trusted, Practical Approach
The Nutrient Mitigation Scheme enables developers to meet planning requirements linked to nutrient pollution. By offsetting the wastewater impact of new developments through certified upgrades elsewhere, you can help protect sensitive river catchments and unlock permission for projects that would otherwise be delayed or refused.
Natural England Assessed
Our scheme has been formally reviewed and confirmed suitable for use by LPAs in Appropriate Assessments.
Built on Decades of Industry Experience
We understand how to design, install, and maintain compliant wastewater systems at scale.
Innovative Digital Platform
Real-time credit tracking, document access, and automated updates for complete transparency.
From Application to Allocation
Create an account on our platform
Set up an account on our digital platform to manage your site, track credits, and access planning documentation in one place.
Check credit availability
Instantly view whether nutrient credits are available in your catchment area, matched to your development’s location.
Secure credits — or let us activate them
If credits are available, purchase them directly through the platform. If not, our system identifies potential upgrade sites and we initiate the process to generate new credits quickly.
Download documentation for planning
Once credits are secured, download your Shadow HRA and Credit Certificate for submission with your planning application.
Guaranteed Compliance, Even if Circumstances Change
To safeguard the long-term integrity of every credit, STS operates a Redundancy Bank — a reserve of additional mitigation sites held outside of commercial allocations. If an active credit site becomes compromised or non-compliant, a redundant site is automatically substituted to maintain full regulatory coverage.
This ensures developers, planners, and LPAs can rely on credits issued through our platform — not just at the point of application, but throughout the lifecycle of the planning condition.
Auto-substitution
If a mitigation site fails or becomes inaccessible, a redundant site is automatically assigned to maintain compliance — with no action required from you.
Planning-safe
Our redundancy model meets LPA and Natural England expectations for fallback measures, protecting your permission from future risk.
Built In
Redundancy is not optional — it’s embedded into every credit we issue, tracked through our platform from day one.
Meeting Spatial & Temporal Requirements
We ensure mitigation is delivered in the right place, at the right time. Each credit is tied to a specific upgrade location and installation timeline, in line with Natural England guidance and LPA expectations. Our scheduling process accounts for 8-week and 6-month testing, followed by ongoing maintenance — all tracked in our platform.
Spatial Compliance
Every nutrient credit is linked to a defined location within the same catchment as your development. This ensures the mitigation effect is geographically relevant — supporting lawful and effective offsetting.
Temporal Integrity
Credits are only released once mitigation is in place and verified through testing. We maintain strict delivery timelines to ensure nutrient reductions are active before any new development begins impacting the environment.
Supporting You Through the Planning Process
We work directly with planning consultants and developers to provide the documentation and technical detail required for shadow HRAs, Appropriate Assessments, and developer submissions. Our team understands how to align with policy, respond to consultee feedback, and deliver fast, practical responses to planning conditions.
Ready to Discuss Your Site?
Credit availability is limited by catchment and installation timeline. Speak to our team to check your site's eligibility, expected lead time, and indicative costs.
