Southern Water supports the approach taken to set out in the proposed wording DIM1: Comprehensive Development, particularly in relation to infrastructure solutions.

Southern Water supports the planning authority's intention to secure delivery of infrastructure that is required to serve development in a comprehensive manner. Although Rother District Council is not the waste planning authority, it does have a role to ensure that development is co-ordinated with provision of necessary wastewater infrastructure

Southern Water notes that in some cases separate agreements with utility providers may be required (as opposed to planning agreements with the planning authority). Southern Water will seek developer contributions in line with the water industry's regulatory framework, and will enter into separate agreements supported by appropriate planning policies and planning conditions where necessary.

We consider that this policy is supported through (a) the Core Planning Principle contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to 'proactively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver the homes, business and industrial units, infrastructure and thriving local places that the country needs' [our highlight], and (b) paragraph 157 of the NPPF which states that Local Plans should 'plan positively for the development and infrastructure required in the area to meet the objectives, principles and policies of this framework'.