Lewes councillors demand answers about water supplies for proposed Sussex homes after severe drought declared

The councillors are calling for a long-term strategy for housing, water and infrastructure after the Government declared ‘severe drought’ in parts of East and West Sussex.

They expressed their concerns after news that Ardingly Reservoir’s capacity dropped to a critically low 17 per cent as of October 18.

East Sussex County Councillor for Chailey, and Lewes District Councillor for Newick, Charlotte Keenan, said: “Make it make sense! How can we keep building thousands more homes without first securing the water supply?”

Councillor Keenan, who also sits on the LDC planning committee, said: “What makes me particularly angry is that the planning rules don’t allow us to refuse planning applications over wider water security concerns. Our planning system is a complete mess. This is just one of its glaringly obvious flaws. How can a system designed to plan for the future fail to address something as fundamental as water?”

The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed that supply is uninterrupted and said it is working with the wider government and water companies to put measures in place now to maintain supplies and prevent disruption.

Lewes District Councillor for Chailey, Barcombe and Hamsey Joa Saunders said: “The climate crisis is putting enormous pressure on our water supplies now. We know the risks are growing, yet where is the preparation for next year and beyond? If the drought persists we could find ourselves facing emergency measures, potentially standpipes in our streets. It may sound extreme, but the fact that we are even having to contemplate such a scenario should be setting alarm bells ringing.”

She said: “In a severe drought, water shortages can become a genuine threat to public health and safety. We need a proper, joined-up, long-term strategy for housing, water and infrastructure.”

Lewes District Councillor for Wivelsfield Sue Morris added: “People need homes. Of course they do. But they also need running water. Bottled water had to be delivered to vulnerable residents in Ditchling and Burgess Hill with communities across the area also experiencing water supply problems this year and this situation is only going to get worse as many more houses are built on our green fields.

“We need land where rainwater can soak into the ground and replenish our aquifers. Concreting over fields does the exact opposite, increasing runoff while adding more demand for water. We cannot keep building first, planning later and crossing our fingers that everything will work out.”

The Green councillors said the are demanding answers from water companies, the Lewes MP and Government.

In response to their points, Lewes MP James MacCleary said he had raised the issue with ministers.

Mr MacCleary said: “People quite reasonably expect that when new homes are built, the infrastructure needed to support them, including reliable water supplies, is planned alongside them. The current drought and the pressures we have seen on local water resources have understandably raised concerns for residents across Lewes and Mid Sussex.

“This is exactly why I have raised the issue directly with ministers and called for water companies to become statutory consultees in the planning process. Too often, decisions about housing growth and decisions about water infrastructure are treated as separate conversations, when they need to be joined up from the outset.”

The Lib Dem MP said residents ‘deserve confidence’ that water supply, sewerage capacity and wider infrastructure will ‘keep pace’ with development.

He said: “That requires proper long-term planning, greater transparency from water companies and adequate investment in the networks we all rely on.

“It has also been deeply frustrating that, throughout this drought period, my office has repeatedly had to chase up reports of clean water leaks across the constituency. In several cases, residents have been left waiting weeks or even months for action while treated drinking water continues to be lost. At a time when people are being asked to conserve water, water companies must be getting the basics right.

“We need a more joined-up approach that delivers the homes our communities need while ensuring that water infrastructure is resilient, sustainable and fit for the future. Residents should not be forced to choose between tackling the housing crisis and protecting our water security.”

A spokesperson for South East Water said: “We want to create a healthy balance between playing a positive role in supporting economic growth and protecting the environment our water comes from.

“We update our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) and follow the Water Industry National Environment Plan (WINEP) every five years. We have started developing our next plan which will be published in 2029, this will take account of the latest housing growth requirements in planning for future water resources. In accordance with the Water Industry Act 1991, we have a duty to connect new domestic properties to the water supply network as they are built. However, like other water companies, we are not a statutory consultee in the planning process.”

The EA told this newspaper that public water supplies remain uninterrupted and said declaring a severe drought does not mean supplies are about to run out.

The EA said is also working with South East Water to issue drought permits that help conserve water storage and protect public supplies. The EA is asking everyone to use less water as well, so there will be more water left in rivers and the environment, which will help farmers and protect nature and wildlife.