Agenda

Delegated planning decisions for the week beginning 13 January 2025 are attached.  Contact for enquiries: Hamish Walke, Acting Group Manager (Development Management) on hamish.walke@crawley.gov.uk.

The following documents are attached in relation to Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders:

·        List of Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders.

·        Steers Lane, Forge Wood (Appendix A).

·        Gatwick Road, Northgate (Appendix B).

·        Horsham Road, West Green (Appendix C).

Following the agreement of Cabinet at its meeting on 15 January 2025 (report FIN/681 refers) to sell a general fund parcel of land, on 21 January 2025 the Head of Corporate Finance (in consultation with the Leader) has approved the sale of the land on the site in order to achieve the preferred outcome as detailed in sections 5.3 and 6.3 of report FIN/681, and will accept the outcome of the land receipt.  This action was delegated to the Head of Corporate Finance via resolution (b) to report FIN/681.  It is noted that, at the same meeting, the Cabinet delegated the negotiation, approval and completion of all relevant documentation, including legal paperwork to the Commercial Asset Manager.

Southern Water have made to their Surface Water Management Policy, with the aim of reducing the impact of surface water on their foul and combined sewer networks. 

The full details of the changes are set out in the Policy, which is attached and also available on their website, but the significant change is how they assess surface water discharge into the ‘foul only’ and combined public sewers.

Moving forward, Southern Water will refuse any request to discharge surface water into its foul only sewer network, on the grounds that the discharge is prejudicial to the sewerage network and detrimental to the environment.  This includes where the surface water hierarchy has been followed and all alternative options have been exhausted.

In addition, a surface water discharge to the combined sewer will only be permitted under exceptional circumstances.  This approach ensures that they work together to better protect the environment, improve water quality, and reduce flood risk.

The policy update also supports their work to separate rainwater from sewage at source to meet storm overflow reduction targets under Defra’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, as well as to reduce the number of sewer flooding incidents that are caused by hydraulic overload of their sewer network during rainfall periods.

Southern Water appreciates the challenges of delivering housing targets set out in local plans and are grateful to those Local Authorities who have already added planning policy and/or conditions, stipulating that a surface water discharge into the foul sewer network will not be permitted.  These conditions/policies support Southern Water in improving the environment and protecting its customers from foul sewer flooding.

More details on how the policy relates to a sewer connection application is set out on Page 6 of the policy document.  Southern Water will also be informing developers and Local Planning Authorities of this updated policy, and they are committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders to achieve a desirable outcome for all.

Consideration report DAT/007, of the Head of Digital and Transformation, is attached for Councillors only.

Information is attached for Councillors only.

Press releases are available at www.crawley.gov.uk/news.