A Unilateral Undertaking (UU) is based in planning law as a legally binding promise by a landowner or developer to fulfil specific obligations without the local authority being a party to the agreement, it can include financial contributions or actions to mitigate the impact of a development.
Due to the nature of this grant, it is necessary to secure the environmental benefits of the upgrade in law, this is so all parties involved in this process – you, the council, the planning authority and developers are ensured the nutrient credits are valid.
The UU requires you as the homeowner to abide by a few standards and binds you or any future owner of the property to a 100 year term in which you agree to properly maintain the new tank every year and have it emptied in line with the manufacturer or installer recommendations. It also requires any replacement tank during the term to be of the same specification or better.
Please be aware that the UU you are signing is a deed created by statue that needs a witness signature and to be declared to any new owner of the property before the time of sale. Because of this, and the fact that a covenant is being placed on the property, your mortgage company will need to countersign the UU as well, if you own the property out right this action is not required.
As the UU is a legal agreement your local council will add it to the land registry and will enforce its clauses against the landowner (and subsequent owners) if the conditions aren’t met.