Southern Water: Havant Borough Council says it 'does not trust' company's figures on coping with wastewater from new homes

Havant Borough Council is concerned with ‘the ability to trust’ Southern Water to provide valid data when developing its new local plan.

Calls to employ a consultancy to review data provided by Southern Water were discussed in a full council meeting.

The council’s local plan is in the early stages of development, with the public consultation stage confirmed between October 4 and November 14.

As a statutory consultee, the water company provides data on wastewater capacity to help shape development decisions and proposals.

Councillor Elizabeth Lloyd, cabinet lead for local plan, environment and water quality introduced the motion to members last WednesdaySEP21.

She said that during a planning policy committee earlier in the month questions were raised ‘concerning the ability to trust the information which we will need from Southern Water regarding the capacity of their wastewater network to accommodate new development’.

She added: ‘Unfortunately, there are clear concerns with the recent performance of Southern Water highlighted by the record £90m fine it received for unpermitted sewage discharges.

‘Whilst the company says it has changed, actions speak louder than words, we as the council will need to approve the detailed local plan after the next stage of its preparation.

'We have no choice but to use Southern Water data to inform this because they are the statutory undertaker for wastewater management for our borough.

‘Our residents need to understand how we prepare a local plan so that they have faith in its preparation and trust in all the information and data we have used. At this point in time on this particular issue that trust is not there.

‘As such, I propose that the council commissions a consultancy to undertake a review of the information and data which Southern Water provides to this council to develop the new local plan and the infrastructure delivery plan.

‘The council will then be able to make a reliable assessment of the validity of the information and data used to support our building a better future plan.’

During the debate, Cllr Alex Rennie, leader of the council, sought to amend Cllr Lloyd's motion by sending it back to the planning policy committee for further scrutiny before returning it to full council on November 16.

Cllr Rennie’s amendment was carried, and after the vote he thanked Cllr Lloyd ‘for her hard work in pulling this local plan process together'.

He added: ‘The message from this council is clear, we aren’t happy with what Southern Water is doing in terms of polluting our harbours but also the concerns with the data they are providing.

‘That will come back through this process, an opportunity for further debate and a further message to be sent from councillors to that water company.’

Reflecting on the vote Cllr Lloyd said: ‘I hoped that council would vote for the motion because I’m determined to produce a local plan which is seen as sound throughout.

'Capacity at the Southern Water waste treatment works is a running concern for residents especially when they see discharges into Langstone Harbour, however I look forward to discussing the intent and practicalities of the motion with the council’s planning policy committee in the near future.’

Cllr Clare Satchwell, member for Hayling West, argued against delaying the motion.

She said: ‘We’ve never done it before and I think it’s a really good move to do it - none of the members said we shouldn’t.

‘I don’t think that residents have trust in Southern Water.

‘Whatever happens with them, like recently with the road [when Southern Water roadworks caused traffic chaos on and off Hayling Island], they just don’t seem to get anything right - it seems like one thing after another.

‘I’ve been part of scrutinies where Southern Water have come along and answered questions but they haven't necessarily been able to answer all the questions. I think they are committed to making things better but is it in a short enough time? I don't know.’

Mike Owens, of Hayling Sewage Watch, said he 'wholeheartedly' agrees with Cllr Lloyd.

'Why shouldn't there be an independent verification of the information provided by Southern Water? How can local authorities plan for the future with confidence if they don't trust Southern Water's data?

'Such a detailed and crucially independent analysis would be a good thing for everybody, at least we would get to know the reality of how much more development our infrastructure can endure before the environment suffers further avoidable poisoning.

‘Historically, Southern Water has a certain and proven reputation for openness and transparency deficiencies most recently highlighted by the reasons for its £90m fine.'

Southern Water has event duration monitoring on 99 per cent of its outfalls with full coverage expected in March - the Environment Agency has also recognised the quality of their self-reporting.

A spokesperson said: 'At Southern Water, transparency and openness is very important to us, as we continue to improve our performance.

'We disclose all our environmental data and are always happy to provide this to our regional stakeholders as we work together to build a water resilient future.'

Last year Southern Water was fined £90m for a ‘shocking and wholesale disregard for the environment’ at 17 of its treatment sites over a six-year period from 2010.

Southern, which has 168 previous convictions and cautions, admitted 51 charges relating to discharges of untreated sewage.

The volume of the 6,971 separate discharges across the six years equated to 7,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Adam Johnson said the crimes were carried out ‘deliberately’ with an ‘intentional breach of or flagrant disregard of the law,’ or failure to put in systems to prevent them.