Having complied with the Motions Procedure as set out in the council’s Constitutionthe motion below will be proposed by Cllr Bowden and if duly seconded it will then be discussed at this meeting:
This Council has serious concerns about the performance of the Statutory Wastewater Company for this District, Southern Water, and in particular:
• Currently, in the light of known Wastewater Treatment capacity limitations at seven of the District’s ten Wastewater Treatment Works, about Southern Water’s normal response to Planning Application consultations, that it can connect the proposed unplanned developments, without apparent regard to the cumulative capacity effect of developments already permitted and planned, including those in neighbouring Districts (Havant and Arun) that share two of the Works;
• In the immediate future, the Council therefore has well-founded doubts about the capability of Southern Water (whether financial or otherwise) to build in good time the greatly enhanced wastewater treatment capacity that will be required to provide for the needs of the District’s new residents foreseen, and required by HM Government, in the Local Plan Review;
• In the medium term, 1) five of the ten Wastewater Treatment works will be at risk of inundation from rising sea-levels due to Climate Change, and 2) there is a clear risk of outflow of Nitrates to Pagham Harbour; but the Council has no evidence of any plan by Southern Water to address either of these risks;
• and accordingly the Council requests the Leader and Chief Executive Officer to write to OFWAT to detail our concerns and call on the Regulator to intervene.
Minutes:
Cllr Bowden was invited to read his motion as follows:
This Council has serious concerns about the performance of the Statutory Wastewater Company for this District, Southern Water, and in particular:
• Currently, in the light of known Wastewater Treatment capacity limitations at seven of the District’s ten Wastewater Treatment Works, about Southern Water’s normal response to Planning Application consultations, that it can connect the proposed unplanned developments, without apparent regard to the cumulative capacity effect of developments already permitted and planned, including those in neighbouring Districts (Havant and Arun) that share two of the Works;
• In the immediate future, the Council therefore has well-founded doubts about the capability of Southern Water (whether financial or otherwise) to build in good time the greatly enhanced wastewater treatment capacity that will be required to provide for the needs of the District’s new residents foreseen, and required by HM Government, in the Local Plan Review;
• In the medium term, 1) five of the ten Wastewater Treatment works will be at risk of inundation from rising sea-levels due to Climate Change, and 2) there is a clear risk of outflow of Nitrates to Pagham Harbour; but the Council has no evidence of any plan by Southern Water to address either of these risks;
• and accordingly the Council requests the Leader and Chief Executive Officer to write to OFWAT to detail our concerns and call on the Regulator to intervene.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Potter.
Cllr Brown was then invited to put forward his amendment as follows:
To add to the original motion:
This Council notes that the Chichester Water Quality Group (a multi-agency meeting hosted by CDC Planning and Chaired by the Environment Agency) currently includes representatives from:
CDC Planning Policy; CDC Environment Team
The Environment Agency
Natural England
Chichester Harbour Conservancy
West Sussex County Council (as Lead Local Flood Authority), and
Southern Water
To further the “transparent scrutiny of evidence and decision making”, that comprises part of the Group’s Terms of Reference, this Council calls for:
A) The publication of the minutes of its meetings (noting that they may need to be ‘Part II’ confidential documents with viewing restricted to elected members), and
B) A representative elected by members of the Council to be afforded observer status for meetings of the Group.
The amendment was seconded by Cllr Bangert.
Cllr Taylor as Cabinet Member for Planning was invited to respond first. Cllr Taylor agreed that writing to OFWAT was a good idea and as such she supported Cllr Bowden’s motion. With regard to Cllr Brown’s amendment Cllr Taylor explained that the Group is not chaired by the council and as such members would only be able to make a request. She explained that the Development Plan and Infrastructure Group gave members the opportunity to ask officers for progress updates of that nature.
Cllr Apel suggested the letter to OFWAT be copied to the two local MP’s and the Minister for Local Government.
In response to Cllr Brown’s amendment Mrs Shepherd agreed to look into the concerns raised by members about the effectiveness of the water quality group and would report back to members with her findings and way forward to address members’ concerns.
Members then gave their broad support to the principles of each motion.
Cllr Sutton proposed a curtailment motion given the level of support that had been given to the original motion. This was seconded by Cllr Purnell however the Chair used her discretionary right to refuse the motion and allow the debate to continue.
Cllr Brown then withdrew his amendment on the basis of advice from Mrs Shepherd.
Following a virtual vote the motion was carried as follows:
RESOLVED
This Council has serious concerns about the performance of the Statutory Wastewater Company for this District, Southern Water, and in particular:
• Currently, in the light of known Wastewater Treatment capacity limitations at seven of the District’s ten Wastewater Treatment Works, about Southern Water’s normal response to Planning Application consultations, that it can connect the proposed unplanned developments, without apparent regard to the cumulative capacity effect of developments already permitted and planned, including those in neighbouring Districts (Havant and Arun) that share two of the Works;
• In the immediate future, the Council therefore has well-founded doubts about the capability of Southern Water (whether financial or otherwise) to build in good time the greatly enhanced wastewater treatment capacity that will be required to provide for the needs of the District’s new residents foreseen, and required by HM Government, in the Local Plan Review;
• In the medium term, 1) five of the ten Wastewater Treatment works will be at risk of inundation from rising sea-levels due to Climate Change, and 2) there is a clear risk of outflow of Nitrates to Pagham Harbour; but the Council has no evidence of any plan by Southern Water to address either of these risks; and accordingly the Council requests the Leader and Chief Executive Officer to write to OFWAT to detail our concerns and call on the Regulator to intervene. The letter to be copied to the two local MP’s and the Minister for Local Government.