Political opinion: Labour leader welcomes major water reforms and calls for county to have a seat at the table

The Leader of the Labour Group on West Sussex County Council has welcomed the Labour Government's plans to give local communities greater control over water investment, calling for West Sussex to have a strong voice in tackling sewage pollution, flooding and poor bathing water quality.

Councillor Martin McCabe, who represents Worthing West, welcomed the announcement of eight new regional water councils, which will bring together local leaders, customers and businesses to help determine priorities for billions of pounds of water and flood infrastructure investment.

The reforms will also introduce stronger accountability for water companies, including new powers for mayors, tougher penalties for wrongdoing and the removal of longstanding restrictions on government ownership of water company shares.

Cllr McCabe said: "For far too long, residents have been paying more for their water while watching sewage pollution threaten our rivers and coastline. Meanwhile, decisions about investment have been made with far too little input from the communities living with the consequences.

"I'm delighted that this Labour Government is changing that. Local people should have a meaningful say in how their money is spent, and water companies must be held accountable for their performance.

"Here in West Sussex, we know exactly why this matters. We have communities concerned about sewage entering our bathing waters, residents experiencing flooding and an ageing drainage infrastructure that needs serious investment."

Figures published by Southern Water identify 149 storm overflows across West Sussex, with 84 requiring work or investment to meet government targets before 2050.

The company has identified 35 overflows for improvement work during the 2025–2030 period.

Cllr McCabe has previously raised concerns at West Sussex County Council about pollution entering highway drainage systems and the need for closer cooperation between the County Council, Southern Water and the Environment Agency.

He has also successfully championed fully independent, year-round bathing water testing at Worthing, arguing that water companies must not be allowed to "mark their own homework".

He continued: "West Sussex must have a seat at the table when these new regional water councils are established. We need investment decisions that reflect the priorities of our communities, not simply those of water company boardrooms.

"That means tackling storm overflows, identifying pollution entering our drainage networks, improving bathing water quality and investing in measures that prevent flooding before it happens.

"We have recently seen welcome progress in cooperation between Southern Water and West Sussex County Council on sustainable drainage and reducing the amount of surface water entering our sewers. These new reforms could help us build on that work and make sure the investment follows."

The Government has also announced plans to repeal historic restrictions on public ownership of water companies, allowing greater flexibility to intervene where companies fail customers or the environment.

Cllr McCabe added: "Water is an essential public service, not simply another opportunity for shareholders to make money.

"I particularly welcome the Government's decision to remove the outdated restrictions on public ownership. It doesn't mean every water company will immediately be brought into public ownership, but it means the Government will have more options to intervene when companies fail.

"The message to Southern Water and the wider industry should be clear: the days of putting shareholders ahead of customers and the environment must come to an end.

"People in West Sussex deserve clean seas, reliable services, fair bills and proper protection from flooding. This is a welcome step towards putting the public interest back at the heart of our water system."