Council presses government for action on Wealden’s water supply concerns
Publish Date: 6 July 2026
Wealden councillors have written to government ministers seeking assurance that the scale and urgency of the water supply challenges facing communities in Wealden are fully understood and being addressed.
The letter, sent by the Leader of Wealden District Council, Councillor Rachel Millward, and the council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning and Environment, Councillor Ian Tysh, to ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), highlights growing concern that critical water supply infrastructure is being repeatedly delayed. The council says this needs urgent attention as local authorities are required to plan for significant numbers of new homes under national planning policy, including the National Planning Policy Framework.
Residents across the district are served by South East Water and have experienced repeated water supply outages. These outages raise significant concerns about the resilience of this essential service and whether the network can meet future demand. While climate change is increasing pressure on water resources, these challenges have been identified for many years through South East Water’s own planning processes.
The underlying challenges are longstanding and well documented through successive Water Resource Management Plans (WRMPs). Local authorities, including Wealden District Council, rely on WRMPs to identify water infrastructure needs as part of their Infrastructure Delivery Plans.
The council has worked constructively with water companies and regulators for many years, including by introducing tougher water efficiency standards for new developments and safeguarding land for strategic infrastructure, including the proposed Arlington Reservoir.
However, the council is concerned that the expected delivery date for the proposed Arlington Reservoir has been pushed back repeatedly from an anticipated date of 2036, to a broader 2025–2045 window, and most recently to a 2041–2075 window with a target date of 2057.
In the letter, the council emphasises that the planning system should not be expected to compensate for shortcomings in the regulation of the water industry. Instead, it calls for closer alignment between housing growth requirements, water company investment plans and regulatory oversight.
Councillor Rachel Millward, Leader of Wealden District Council, said, “This situation highlights the need for greater investment in infrastructure and effective long-term planning by water companies. It’s outrageous that residents have to drive to get bottled water because there has been nothing in their taps. This is the result of a chronic lack of investment in infrastructure, and we want to see proactive steps taken to prevent similar situations affecting Wealden residents in the future.”
Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for Planning and Environment, said, “Water companies have a statutory duty to supply new homes, but that duty alone will not make water flow through the taps. These constraints must be properly addressed by water companies and government if future housing development is to be planned and delivered responsibly.”
The council has also welcomed the opportunity to meet with ministers, South East Water and the relevant regulators to discuss these issues and help ensure there is a coordinated, deliverable approach for the residents of Wealden.
To view the full letter sent to ministers, visit the council’s website here.