Wetlands Saved, Homes Built: Landmark Deal Balances Nature and Development

In a significant development, a new agreement has been reached that will enable the construction of 21,000 homes in Sussex. This comes after a four-year pause due to concerns over the amount of water being taken from rivers and wetlands in the Arun Valley.

The agreement, reached between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Southern Water, and Natural England, outlines new guidelines to protect the local wetlands and wildlife while allowing for the much-needed housing development. Under the terms of the deal, around 4,000 homes that had been previously paused will now proceed, with a further 17,000 set to be built.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds hailed the breakthrough, stating that it "ends a broken status quo and shows how we can build the homes while protecting nature." The key elements of the agreement include Southern Water changing its water abstraction permit to limit the amount of water taken from local rivers and wetlands, and providing funding to restore habitats. Defra has confirmed that this will be paid for by the company, not customers.

Additionally, the new homes will be built to "higher water efficiency standards" in line with building regulation guidance for water-scarce areas. This is expected to reduce daily water use and ease pressure on local watercourses, particularly to protect the rare lesser whirlpool ramshorn snail, which is a unique part of the Arun Valley's ecosystem.