Arun Council leader meets with Southern Water bosses over planning

In a meeting convened on Thursday, February 9, Cllr Gunner met with Southern Water’s chief executive, Lawrence Gosden, to discuss concerns related to new planning applications and the company’s water resource management plan.

He was joined by the MP for Arundel and Southdowns Andrew Griffith, and Sir Peter Bottomley, the MP for West Worthing.

The meeting comes just after more than 40 councils across the South Coast, including Arun District Council, teamed up to demand Southern Water ‘clean up its act’ and hold the company to account over sewage discharges and infrastructure failures.

For Cllr Gunner, Thursday’s meeting was a real step forward. He says that, together with the MPs, he’s made a real difference when it comes to opening up a line of communication with the controversial water company. “I was pretty tough on them around planning. I told them they don’t communicate well about the extent to which new developments can be properly connected to the network, and they took it onboard.

"They said ‘you’re right, we need to be better about this. We need to be more open with councils.’ We should start to see a much more active approach from them when it comes to planning applications, and that’s a real victory for us.”

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

Southern Water, which has been contacted for comment, has encountered controversy in the past for authorising sewage discharges off the coast, in particular when rainwater overwhelms the existing drainage system. With thousands of new homes popping up across Arun District and the South Coast more broadly, there are concerns that the vast increase in residents will push the system further, leading to even more discharges.

Cllr Gunner has spoken out against Southern Water’s discharges in the past. Last year, when bathing water in Aldwick was rated ‘poor’ by Environment Agency officers – one of just two sites on the southeast coast to receive the label – he demanded the water company ‘step up’ and take action to improve the situation.

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Gunner: Southern Water 'need to step up' after Aldwick bathing water rated 'poor'