The government’s decision to withdraw water neutrality restrictions when it comes to building homes has been greeted with delight by Crawley Borough Council.
The restrictions were introduced in September 2021 after Crawley and other parts of Sussex were identified by the Environment Agency as being in an area of serious water stress.
The town’s water comes from the Sussex North Water Resource Zone, and there were fears that the current rate of water abstraction – the process of taking water from surface or underground sources – was having an impact on protected sites in the Arun Valley.
Now the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the restrictions will be lifted at the end of the month.
Instead, a spokesman said local authorities and developers would work together ‘to deliver homes that meet high environmental standards’.
They added: “Under the agreement by Defra, Natural England, the Environment Agency and Southern Water, the water company will change its water abstraction permits to limit the amount of water taken from local rivers and wetlands, as well as provide funding to restore habitats.
“This will be paid for by the company and not by consumers.
“The agreement ensures protection for rare species like the Lesser Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail, a unique part of the Arun Valley’s ecosystem.
“New homes will also be built to higher water efficiency standards in line with the building regulation guidance for water scarce areas, reducing daily water use and easing pressure on local watercourses.”
The building of around 4,000 homes throughout Sussex, which had been stalled, will now go ahead, with another 17,000 to follow.
Michael Jones, leader of the council, said: “The lifting of water neutrality restrictions is a major success and step forward for the town.
“It does not resolve the town’s housing emergency, but it means we can once again get housing development moving for the residents of this town.
“This is real progress and comes after years of hard work to make sure this issue got the attention it deserves by government.”
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