Southdowns MP meets with Southern Water over planning concerns

Andrew Griffith MP met with Southern Water’s chief executive over concerns relating to new planning applications.

The Arundel and Southdowns MP along with Sir Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West, had called a meeting between the chief executive of Southern Water, Lawrence Gosden, and other stake holders discuss the company’s water resource strategy plan.

The meeting took place on Thursday, February 9, and Mr Griffith was joined by the chief executive of Arun District Council (ADC), James Hassett, as well at the leaders of ADC, cllr Shaun Gunner.

Concerns were raised in relations to Southern Water’s role in responding to new planning applications and attendees and about water quality as wastewater discharges affect waterways across the county.

Southern Water acknowledged that there was an urgent need to protect the water supply and the wastewater network’s capacity and to promote other alternatives including Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

Andrew Griffith said: “On behalf of my constituents I am simply fed up of new development being piled on top of existing problems with Southern Water. Those need fixing first and I want Southern Water to speak out properly against new housing.”

The Water Resources Management Plan is open for consultation until Monday (February 20).

The plan proposes measures to reduce leaks on the pipe network and to increase the clean water supply

through the proposed development of new reservoirs, desalination plants and water recycling.

Mr Griffith recieved criticism last month when he and fellow Tory MPs voted for new targets for water companies to reduce sewage discharges by 80 per cent by 2038. Several people said the vote did not go far enough.

Speaking to this newspaper last month, he said: “I share the frustration of residents that sewage continues to impact our rivers and beaches. That is why I voted to implement legally binding targets to tackle water pollution and I was supportive of the Government’s unprecedented action to increase fines for water company who release sewage by a thousand fold."