The North Norfolk Rivers Planning Group is based on the Environment Agency North Norfolk Rivers management catchment. The main settlements in the area are Cromer, Sheringham and Holt and land-use is dominated by arable farming and woodland. Links to the Environment Agency North Norfolk Rivers Abstraction Licence Strategy (ALS) and Catchment Data Explorer page are here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cams-north-norfolk-abstraction-licensing-strategy
https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/ManagementCatchment/3064
Most of the North Norfolk Rivers catchment is underlain by Chalk, except in the east where this is covered by deposits of Crag. In the west, the Chalk is covered by Till, while in the east the Chalk and Crag are covered by a combination of Till and Glacial Sands and Gravels. Members in this Planning Group mainly abstract surface water from rivers and streams or groundwater from the Chalk and Crag.
The North Norfolk River catchment contains many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), including Norfolk valley fens which are designated Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). The condition of these is currently being assessed, with the need for licence changes to meet Habitats Regulation requirements being considered. All remaining abstractions in the catchment will be reviewed as part of the Environment Agency Catchment Permit Review process expected to be completed between 2028 & 2035.
From the National Framework for Water Resources (2025) some waterbodies in the North Norfolk Rivers catchment are at risk of licence reduction under current conditions. Over the period to 2050 and 2080 this risk increases, with large reductions possible in most North Norfolk River waterbodies.
National Framework for Water Resources 2025: Risk of licence reductions by waterbody for the North Norfolk Rivers Planning Group (see also NF2025 Licence Reductions.docx)
A link to the National Framework for Water Resources 2025 data is here:
https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/4347271e-4867-4c5a-a2ae-d4830b3eeb03
