A crisis is looming for the supply of water across Basingstoke & Deane.
Concerns about water supply issues for new homes needed in the borough have previously been raised by the council – and those have now been supported by the Environment Agency and Natural England.
The two agencies responded to an updated water cycle study, as part of preparations for the council’s draft Local Plan which has to provide for 6,000 more homes than previously planned.
The updated water cycle study questioned South East Water’s ability to provide a resilient supply of water for new homes over the next two decades because of delays to work on the Surrey Hills to Fleet transfer pipeline.
The council says it will now seek to work with South East Water to understand the full scale of the issue.
Cabinet member for strategic planning and infrastructure Cllr Andy Konieczko (LibDem) (pictured) said it was because of the additional housing numbers that the council updated the water cycle study
He went on: “The water cycle study that we commissioned raised questions about future water supply to our borough. The Environment Agency and Natural England have also indicated, through the consultation, that demands for water from growth risks outstripping the limits of sustainable supply, which now needs more detailed investigation.
“Since we took over running of the borough council in May 2023, one of our top priorities has been having an up-to-date Local Plan that will protect our area from speculative development.
“Despite the Government setting us a higher housing target, we’ve succeeded in developing a draft plan that went to public consultation.
“We have been clear in the plan that infrastructure needs to be provided first, reflecting the concerns of residents. This vital additional work gives us a chance to properly address these issues.
“We will do all that we can to find the right and best solution for our borough – we simply cannot progress until we have clear assurances that the homes we are being asked to plan for will have sufficient infrastructure in place to serve them.”
All responses draft Local Plan consultation will be published on Monday (March 23) at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/dlp-reg18-consultation-2025
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