Housebuilding to resume in North Sussex after water agreement reached

(by Karma Loveday)

The moratorium on housebuilding in North Sussex has been lifted following an agreement reached through Defra’s Water Delivery Taskforce –  a forum for government departments, water companies, regulators and developers to resolve issues related to water and growth.

In 2021, Natural England issued a water neutrality position statement in relation to the Arun Valley, to protect wetlands and wildlife from additional abstraction strain. As a result, new housing developments in parts of Horsham, Crawley and Chichester were paused.

Last week, an agreement was reached between Defra, Natural England, the Environment Agency and Southern Water, enabling building work to resume from 1 November. Around 4,000 homes that were previously stalled will now proceed and a further 17,000 are expected to be built. The agreement involves properties being built to higher water efficiency and environmental standards; Southern Water changing its abstraction permits to limit the amount of water taken from local rivers and wetlands; and Southern Water (company not customers) providing funding to restore habitats.

The government announcement cited that the agreement “ensures protection for rare species like the Lesser Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail, a unique part of the Arun Valley’s ecosystem”. However, there has been a backlash from green groups after chancellor Rachel Reeves was reported as telling a private meeting that the planning blockage was due to “some snails on the site that are a protected species or something” and sharing that she had a “good relationship” with the developer in question.

The RSPB tweeted: “Comments like this pit nature against growth – it’s the wrong target. Here the system has worked: protecting one of UK’s rarest species while allowing 20,000 homes to proceed.” The backdrop is tense relations between nature groups and the Government over its Planning and Infrastructure Bill agenda which the former argue will weaken protections for the environment in pursuit of growth.