MP and water company discuss issues

Concerns with wastewater entering Chichester Harbour have been raised with top bosses at Southern Water by the area’s MP.

During the meeting earlier this month between Gillian Keegan and the company’s chief executive officer Ian McAulay and his senior executives, issues around planning and the work to ensure there is capacity to cope with new homes were also discussed.

Also present were Penny Plant and Susan Taylor, Chichester District Council cabinet members for environment and planning respectively, and Bourne county councillor Mike Magill.

The meeting was designed, in part to learn more about the ongoingworkofSouthernWater to improve its performance and encourage a closer working relationship between the council and the company.

At the end of 2020 Mrs Keegan met Rachel Fletcher, chief executive officer of the regulatory body OFWAT, when Southern Water’s performance was discussed alongside measures in place to encourage improvements.

Mrs Keegan said: “It was good to hear work is ongoing to both mitigate their environmental impacts and improve the overall system capacity.

“There is a huge amount more to do, and I hope this is the first of many meetings to ensure progress is made. I will continue to work closely with the regulator, Environment Agency and Southern Water and press for closer co-operation between the council and the water company.”

She is due to meet environment minister Rebecca Pow later this month, along with other MPs from the Solent region, to discuss the performance of Southern Water and look at the national approach to the issues faced in the area.

After the meeting, Mr McAulay said: “Partnership working is the best and most effectivewaytoensurearesilient water future for the people of Chichesterandthewiderregion. Delivering water resilience in a climate crisis and across the multiple environments water exists in, demands that many parties and stakeholders have to work more closely together than ever before. Having proactive and constructive partners such as Gillian Keegan ensures that we hear and understand the priorities of residents and stakeholders and in turn they hear and understand those of a water utility. Together we can then take the most effective action. We therefore look forward to widening and deepening our co-operation with Gillian Keegan and all the stakeholders in the Chichester area.”