Water issue puts pressure on high housing targets
South East Water is being called on to clarify concerns that there is not enough water to supply new homes in the area.
EHDC Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, has demanded answers from the water company saying the issue is becoming one of the most significant matters facing local communities.
He said: "There is growing public concern about the implications for existing residents, future housing delivery, economic growth and the environmental impacts associated with the current situation.
"Local people rightly expect clear answers about the scale of the challenge, the likely timescales involved and, most importantly, how and when a solution will be found."
He added: "This issue is threatening to expose the flaws at the heart of the government's housing targets, highlighting how unrealistic the numbers are and how poorly planned the decision to effectively double them overnight was."
Currently, planning applications in the affected area are not being completed until further information around the issue has been sought.
South East Water, the Environment Agency and Natural England have all expressed their concerns about water supply for new developments – but none have said it should prevent new homes being built.
South East Water said its forecasts show that there is a ‘supply-demand imbalance’ and that future growth could potentially pose a risk to the security of supply to customers and to the environment.
It has plans to build a pipeline from water sources elsewhere to boost supply, but this won’t be ready until the 2030s.
They say that until this new transfer scheme is completed, there is a risk they may not be able to fully accommodate the level of housing required.
Cllr Millard said: “This news exacerbates an existing issue around housing delivery in the area. The Government declared last year that our housing targets would double.
“Now we find that there is no clear understanding of how those new homes can be supplied with water, surely the most basic necessity when planning for growth and development.
“I have written to the CEO of South East Water to ask for a meeting and I expect to get the answers we need to solve this rising problem.”
How the murky water issue affects planning process
Although South East Water has admitted that there is a ‘demand-supply imbalance’ in the provision of water to areas around north Hampshire, including Four Marks and some parts of Alton, they have not actively objected to developments on the grounds of insufficient supply.
There has been no official statement from any of the key authorities that there is not enough water to support new developments.
That means that if EHDC refuses any planning application and cited water capacity as the reason, it is possible the developer would be able to successfully appeal against that decision.
EHDC’s planners have reissued consultations on 32 local planning applications, asking South East Water, Environment Agency and Natural England to confirm clearly if they object, or do not object to each proposal.
We need further information to help us to make sound decisions if we are to consider water capacity when determining applications.