Arun Valley schemes blocked since 2021
Roughly 4,000 planned homes stalled for four years are set to be built across North Sussex after an agreement was reached between government, regulators and industry over water use.
Developments in parts of Horsham, Crawley and Chichester were paused in 2021 when Natural England issued a water neutrality position statement for the Arun Valley.
The step was taken due to concerns about the amount of water being taken from rivers and wetlands in the area, which risked impacting protected wildlife and local water resources.
However, an agreement has now been reached between Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and Southern Water to allow the blocked schemes to go ahead.
Under the terms agreed, the water company will change its water abstraction permits to limit the amount of water taken from local rivers and wetlands and provide funding to restore habitats, while developers will be required to build homes to higher water efficiency standards.
According to the government, the agreement will ensure protection for rare species like the Lesser Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail, which is one of the rarest creatures in the UK as well as an indicator of clean rivers and ponds due to its sensitivity to sewage pollution.
>> Read more: How water neutrality is disrupting development in some parts of the country
The deal was negotiated through DEFRA’s Water Delivery Taskforce, a forum for government departments, water companies, regulators and developers to resolve issues.
According to the government, the agreement will enable a further 17,000 homes to be built, beyond those currently stalled. This projected number is based on estimates provided by local authorities.
“This breakthrough ends a broken status quo and shows how we can build the homes the community needs while protecting nature,” said environment secretary Emma Reynolds.
“Under the government’s Plan for Change, we are taking a win-win approach that unlocks growth while protecting and restoring the natural world we all depend on.
“We are getting Britain building again while securing a brighter future for our precious wetlands, wildlife and local rivers.”
Work on the new homes will begin from 1 November.
Marian Spain, chief executive of Natural England, said: “This type of sustainable development clearly shows how we can build the new homes this country needs while restoring and protecting nature.
“A thriving natural environment is at the heart of a strong economy and is vital to all of our health and wellbeing. We know that people want to live near nature and cases like this where sound nature regulations prompted innovative solutions mean we can continue to make that possible.”
Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, added: “The breakthrough achieved in Sussex North demonstrates how through smart policy interventions we can unlock precisely the kind of win-win for development and nature that this government is committed to achieving”.
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