Southern Water is unable to support the Core Strategy as sound because no policy directly supports provision of strategic water and wastewater infrastructure in a generic manner.

This could have a detrimental impact on delivery of essential infrastructure required to support new development, and is contrary to paragraph 23 (viii) of PPS1.

New and improved wastewater infrastructure will be needed to serve the development proposed in Rother's Core Strategy. Furthermore, new or extended water supply infrastructure will also be required within the life time of the Core Strategy.

Tightening of environmental standards set by the Environment Agency is also a potential driver for new infrastructure and would contribute to meeting the environmental objectives of the Core Strategy.

It is acknowledged that policy IM2 supports delivery of infrastructure through developer contributions. However, the strategic water supply and wastewater infrastructure (e.g. extension to treatment works) required to serve new development will be provided solely by Southern Water without developer contributions and is therefore not covered by policy IM2.

Policy SRM2 also neglects to explicitly support provision by water companies of water supply and wastewater infrastructure although it is acknowledged that Policy SRM2 supports the delivery of the possible raising of Bewl Water reservoir.

A supportive planning policy framework is imperative at all levels - regional, county and local - to facilitate timely delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure required to serve new development.

If development is allowed to proceed before the necessary capacity is in place to serve it, both new and existing customers may experience unsatisfactory levels of service, for example poor water pressure and failure to meet environmental standards in the treatment of wastewater.