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CPRE Sussex responds to Independent Water Commission report

3rd June 2025

CPRE Sussex welcomes call for co-ordinated approach to sewage and water supplies but says more must be done to stop putting poo down pipes that cannot cope.

CPRE Sussex says the interim report to government from the Independent Water Commission published today (June 3) highlights the need for coordination in water and sewage management between different agencies, including local authorities. However, the charity says the Commission must go further to stop putting more poo down pipes that cannot cope.

“This report includes a strong recommendation that local authorities and local democracy should have a much bigger role in water planning and governance,” said CPRE Sussex director Paul Steedman.

“This is a good start. However, we also need to specifically ensure that sewers and water treatments works are upgraded before construction or occupation of new sites. This could be done by greater use of pre-commencement or ‘Grampian’ conditions by local planning authorities when deciding development planning applications.

“We also want to see the timings of water company investment plans aligned with the release of sites in local development plans, to put infrastructure in place before significant sites can be developed.”

CPRE Sussex was one of 50,000 organisations and individuals to submit evidence to the commission prior to the report’s publication.

The report includes a case study of “water neutrality” in north Sussex which demonstrates the complexity of water system planning at a local level. It says a lack of coherent systems can undermine local growth, damage the environment and waste valuable time and resources.

Read the full report