Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Guest and Milne.

There were no declarations of interests relating to matters on the agenda.

At the request of Full Council (Minute 31b/9/2022) the Committee received a report, which provided further information on the context, scope and potential cost of the work to be undertaken to review data provided by Southern Water.

The Cabinet Lead introduced the report, and the Council’s planning consultant gave a presentation on the proposal to commission consultancy advice to review the data and information provided by Southern Water.

The Cabinet Lead also gave an update on action taken by the statutory regulator, the Government and Southern Water Authority to improve the current problem of illegal discharges into Langstone and Chichester Harbours.

The Committee examined, via a question-and-answer session with the Cabinet Lead and officers, the following aspects of the proposal:

1.         how the review would support the delivery of the Local Plan;

2.         the options available to the Council, if the Council’s review challenged the data supplied by Southern Water;

3.         whether similar approaches had been taken up by other authorities;

4.         proposals to work with other local authorities on the review and how this would affect the Council’s costs;

5.         the scope of the proposed review and the methods to be used to estimate the capacity of the foul and surface water system; and

6.         how long the data supplied by the review would be fit for purpose;

7          the surface and foul water requirements set out in the existing policies;

8          the aims and objectives of the review;

9          other options available to the Council and the benefits and disbenefits of each option;

10        the reasons for undertaking the review and why the costs and the need to maintain its independence; and

11        the response of Southern Water to the review.

The majority of the Committee considered that the review would:

(i)         provide expert and independent testing of the reliability and veracity of Southern Water data; and

(ii)        support and provide additional assurance in the wider work of Local Plan preparation.

RESOLVED that Full Council be recommended to:

a          approve the procurement of consultancy advice to review the data and information provided by Southern Water for planning purposes;

b          note that costs will be met from the planning policy budget and will feed into the 2023/24 budget setting process; and

c          delegate authority to the Cabinet Lead for Local Plan, Environment and Water Quality, Cabinet Lead for Finance and Section 151 officer to approve the commissioning of the consultants if the final procurement represents value for money for the authority.