South east councils meet with government minister to voice concerns over Southern Water

The Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group – set up by Wealden council – had a meeting this week with Emma Hardy, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water and Flooding.

The group includes representatives from more than 20 councils across the south east – spanning from Folkestone & Hythe to the New Forest – in the aftermath of a catalogue of issues including flooding, sewage seeping into people’s homes, gardens and roads, the ongoing problem of discharges into rivers and waterways and the inability to deal with additional development.

The group members shared their concerns with the minister, who committed to getting the group more information on Southern Water’s investment plans and also agreed to work with the partnership and her officials to continue the dialogue and work towards solutions.

A Wealden District Council spokesperson said, “We are extremely grateful to the minister for taking time out to speak to members of the cross-party group about their concerns with Southern Water and for the support she gave.

“The minister acknowledged that more action is needed from water companies and thanked the group for its work.”

Wealden District Council co-ordinates the Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group, which includes representatives from more than 20 councils across the south east spanning from Folkestone & Hythe to the New Forest.

Its main objective is to act as a platform for local authorities to come together across political party lines, to hold Southern Water (and its regulators) to account for the poor quality of our waterways and coastline.

It was set up in the aftermath of a catalogue of issues including flooding, sewage seeping into people’s homes, gardens and roads, the ongoing problem of discharges into rivers and waterways and the inability to deal with additional development.

It also followed a Full Council Motion by Wealden council in July 2022 to demand better quality information from Southern Water when it considered planning matters.

Various meetings have taken place since the group’s inception – some of which have included special speakers from Southern Water, the Environment Agency and most recently OFWAT – which have all been well received and continue to be ongoing.

For further information on the work of the group visit https://www.wealden.gov.uk/southern-water-stakeholder-group/