13.19

Showing comments and forms 1 to 1 of 1

Support

Proposed Submission Core Strategy

Representation ID: 20836

Received: 03/10/2011

Respondent: Environment Agency

Representation Summary:

Paragraph 13.19 should be amended and is summarised as follows:

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) seeks to improve the water environment, and promote the sustainable use of water. The Directive applies to all surface water bodies, including lakes, streams, groundwater and rivers. The aim of the WFD is for all water bodies to reach good status by 2027. In Rother District this would mean improving their physical state and preventing deterioration in water quality and ecology. The WFD introduced the concept of integrated river basin management and such plans should influence development plans. RDC is sitauted within the SE River Basin District. December 2009 the Environment Agency published the South East River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). The WFD presents a serious challenge to deliver sufficient upgrades within the local water environment in a short timescale. Rother traverses two catchments: The Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels catchment and the Rother catchment. The responsibility for ensuring that objectives of the WFD falls to a number of bodies; notably the EA, ESCC, RDC, and water companies.

Full text:

We note that EN3 (ii) refers to Appendix 4 that has some more detail on what is expected to be addressed under each of the headings (a) to (h) of the policy.

We support the general principles outlined in the Appendix 4(h), however we note that it references back to Chapter 13 Sustainable Resource Management, so subject to Policy SRM2 being amended as suggested above, clearly this part of Policy EN3's effectiveness, in our opinion, will be dependent on our proposed minor changes to SRM2 being incorporated.