# The Nitrate Sensitive Areas (Designation) Order 1990, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Order)
Section 112 of the Water Act 1989 (“the 1989 Act”) gives the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (“the Minister”) and the Secretary of State for the Environment (“the Secretary of State”) power, acting jointly, to designate land in England as a nitrate sensitive area where they consider it appropriate to do so with a view to preventing or controlling the entry of nitrate into controlled waters as a result of, or of anything done in connection with, the use of any land for agricultural purposes.
This Order designates as nitrate sensitive areas the following areas: Ogbourne St. George NSA, Egford NSA, Sleaford NSA, Branston Booths NSA, Kilham NSA, Old Chalford NSA, Wellings NSA, Tom Hill NSA, Wildmoor NSA and Boughton NSA (article 3 and Schedule 3). The areas are defined by reference to maps which are available for inspection during normal office hours at the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HX and at:–
Ogbourne St. George NSA
South Western Regional Office
Block III
Government Buildings
Burghill Road
Westbury on Trym
Bristol BS 10 6NJ
Gloucester Divisional Office
Elmbridge Court
Cheltenham Road
Gloucester GL3 1AG
Egford NSA
South Western Regional Office
Block III
Government Buildings
Burghill Road
Westbury on Trym
Bristol BS10 6NJ
Taunton Divisional Office
Quantock House
Paul Street
Taunton TA1 3NX
Sleaford NSA and Branston Booths NSA
Eastern Regional Office
Block C
Government Buildings
Brooklands Avenue
Cambridge CB2 2DR
Lincoln Divisional Office
Ceres House
2 Searby Road
Lincoln LN2 4DH
Kilham NSA
Northern Regional Office
Block 1
Government Buildings
Lawns Wood
Leeds LS16 5PY
Beverley Divisional Office
Crosskill House
Mill Lane
Beverley HU17 9JB
Old Chalford NSA
South Eastern Regional Office
Block A
Government Offices
Coley Park
Reading RG1 6DT
Oxford Divisional Office
Government Buildings
Marston Road
Oxford OX3 0TP
Wellings NSA, Tom Hill NSA and Wildmoor NSA
Midlands and Western Regional Office
Wood Thorne
Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ
Worcester Divisional Office
Government Buildings
Block C
Whittington Road
Worcester WR5 2LQ
Boughton NSA
Midlands and Western Regional Office
Wood Thorne
Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ
Nottingham Divisional Office
Block 7
Chalfont Drive
Nottingham NG8 3SN
Sketch maps of the areas are attached hereto.
Section 112(2) of the 1989 Act enables the Minister to enter into an agreement with the owner of the freehold interest in any agricultural land, or a person having any other interest in agricultural land who has the consent of the owner of the freehold interest, in a nitrate sensitive area, imposing obligations with respect to the management of the land.
The Order differentiates between a basic scheme agreement and a premium scheme agreement (article 2) and specifies requirements as to the practices which must be included in each type of agreement (Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 respectively).
The Order also contains provisions in relation to:
(a) applications (article 4);
(b) conditions of entry into agreements (article 5);
(c) monitoring of compliance with an agreement (article 6);
(d) payments to be made by the Minister (article 7 and Schedule 4);
(e) recovery of payments (articles 8 and 9); and
(f) the determination by arbitration of any question arising under an agreement and the determination of a dispute as to the economic optimum (article 8).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1013/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/nitrate-sensitive-areas-designation-order-1990/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

