The Tide is Turning on Water Neutrality in Sussex – Let The CCP Help You Ride the Wave
by
Councillor Oliver Patrick
Liberal Democrat Councillor and Vice Chair of Planning Committee South, Somerset Council
Water Neutrality Rules Eased in Sussex: What It Means (and doesn’t mean) – and How the CCP Can Help
After years of planning delays and uncertainty, the Government has finally announced that the Water Neutrality restrictions affecting large parts of North Sussex are to be eased. It’s a moment that could see thousands of much-needed homes unlocked.
This is a long-awaited breakthrough for housing delivery across a number of Councils including Chichester District Council, Crawley Borough Council, Horsham District Council, the South Downs National Park Authority, and West Sussex County Council.
But the devil is in the detail… it is NOT a blanket lift across Sussex.
Background: From snail’s pace to progress (of sorts)…
Since 2021, developers across Sussex have faced an effective moratorium on planning consents due to Water Neutrality requirements introduced by Natural England. The rule meant that any new development had to demonstrate “no net increase” in water consumption, protecting sensitive habitats in the Arun Valley. It’s these habitats that support rare species like the Lesser Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail – a miniature mollusc which has become an unfortunate scapegoat in this sorry saga.
In practice, the rule created widespread uncertainty. Schemes large and small were stalled while councils struggled to produce mitigation strategies.
Affected Councils have worked hard to produce a mitigation scheme now known as the Sussex North Water Certification Scheme (or SNWCS for short) which is due to go live sometime very soon, BUT the launch has been delayed because the government’s Water Neutrality announcement means Natural England is likely to issue an updated Position Statement.
To add a further layer of complexity… those hoping to build houses cannot access the incoming SNWCS scheme if their site:
Isn’t part of a Local Plan, or
Isn’t in a Neighbourhood Plan, or
Isn’t listed in an official planning document approved by a Council (like Horsham’s Planning Advice Note).
The good news is that Chichester District Council has a new Local Plan (adopted August 2025) with newly-allocated sites – but there is still uncertainty over whether Horsham District Council’s draft Local Plan will proceed after the Planning Inspector suggested its withdrawal from examination over alleged Duty to Cooperate failings…
So What Has Changed - and What Hasn’t…
The headline is very good – after months of technical work and inter-agency negotiation, Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency announced a managed exit from the most restrictive parts of the Water Neutrality rules. In simple terms: the tap appears to have been turned back on for housing delivery – and the government has made it clear that “building work will resume on 1 November.”
However… whilst the lifting of restrictions will unlock a backlog of planning permissions, it does NOT mean developers can ignore water efficiency altogether. It is not a blanket lifting of the restrictions - it is in fact carefully targeted…
The new rules announced recently only apply to sites allocated in a Council’s Local Plan – with speculative and windfall schemes still needing to demonstrate sustainable water use and, in some cases, provide bespoke offsetting.
The CCP View: A Turning Point for Constructive Dialogue
Frustratingly, it is still a confusing picture where Water Neutrality is concerned…
That why, at The Community Communications Partnership (CCP), we see this as a crucial moment for collaboration between councils, developers and communities.
The Water Neutrality issue isn’t going anywhere soon, but the change in the mood music means that, for developers and local authorities alike, this is a time to re-engage, rebuild and refocus.
Our network of former councillors and MPs has been at the heart of many of these planning conversations across the South of England. We understand how to navigate the evolving policy landscape - from Natural England’s technical guidance to Local Plan reviews and committee engagement.
The CCP can help by:
Advising on how to communicate your scheme’s water-neutral credentials clearly and credibly
Supporting early engagement with planning officers, members and local residents
Helping to rebuild trust with communities after years of stalled growth and uncertainty.
If you’d like to discuss how The Community Communications Partnership can support your communications and engagement strategy around planning, housing and environmental issues, please get in touch.
Oliver Patrick
📧 oliver@theccp.net