Strategy published on how Crawley, Horsham and parts of Chichester district can achieve water neutrality

The report from Jeremy Benn Associates Ltd was published in November and includes a recommendation to adopt a water efficiency target of 85 litres per person per day on all new housing.

The UK average, according to Water UK, is 142 litres/person/day, while the current Local Plans of the three West Sussex authorities have a limit of 110 litres/person/day.

All three are in the process of conducting Local Plan Reviews – and the objective of the strategy is to help them towards adoption.

The aim is to achieve water neutrality throughout the time-frame covered by the Local Plans – including that of the South Downs National Park Authority – up to 2038/39.

A spokesman for Crawley Borough Council said the 85 litres/person/day target seemed to be ‘generally achievable and viable’.

They added: “In fact, most developers are already proposing that level as it reduces the amount of water they need to offset elsewhere and therefore helps them achieve water neutrality.”

But how would the council ensure that people were abiding by the target?

The spokesman said enforcement was ‘an issue still to be considered’.

They added: “Physically securing the installation of water efficient fixtures and fittings is the critical concern and is something that we can check at the time houses/flats are occupied.

“These fixtures/fittings mean that, with normal water usage, most people will achieve the required level.

“Clearly it does not stop people running taps endlessly or having lots of baths/long showers, but most people will see the sense in not doing that.”

Other recommendations in the strategy include a 40 per cent reduction in water demands for developments such as businesses and community buildings.

And it includes an offsetting scheme which will run up to the end of 2029/30, when it will be reviewed based on whether a long-term solution to water neutrality has been implemented by Southern Water.

Offsetting is essentially finding a way to reduce demand elsewhere if water neutrality cannot be achieved at a new development.

For example, if housing is built on an empty field it will naturally use more water than when there were no buildings there.

So existing buildings and homes in the region can be retrofitted with things such as flow restrictors and rain harvesters to balance things out.

The report said the offsetting scheme should be led and operated by the three planning authorities, with the costs and benefits shared.

Following the publication of the Strategy, Crawley Borough Council drew up a timetable for its Local Plan Review.

It will be examined by the overview and scrutiny committee on January 30, the cabinet on February 1 ad full council on February 22.

It will then be put out to public consultation between May and June before being submitted to the Secretary of State in early July.

The examination is anticipated to be complete by August, with the plan expected to be adopted in the spring or summer of 2024.