'Not enough water supply' for planned housing

There is "insufficient" water supply for the number of houses planned in a Kent borough, South East Water has claimed.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council is currently consulting on its local plan, in which it aims to build more than 19,000 homes between 2024 and 2042.

But South East Water now says that, due to a lack of headroom in current supply plans, it cannot accommodate the level of growth being proposed.

A council spokesperson said it was "seeking clarification" on points raised by the water company, and the consultation was for "gathering feedback and identifying issues that need further work".

Under current estimates, Tonbridge and Malling is due to build 19,746 new homes between 2024 and 2042.

The draft local plan targets 54 potential sites for these houses over the 18-year period, the council says.

Nick Price, head of water resources at South East Water, said its current water management, drawn up using 2023 housing data, now "does not reflect the significant uplift" in housing need driving the council's plan.

"This deviation means that our current plan does not identify sufficient water supply headroom to accommodate the level of growth now proposed since its publication," he added.

Housebuilding targets nationwide have been driven by the government's aim to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current parliament in 2029.

A Tonbridge and Malling spokesperson said: "Infrastructure capacity - including water supply - is a key issue raised during the consultation and one we take extremely seriously.

"We will continue to work closely with all providers to ensure the draft Local Plan is informed by up-to-date and comprehensive evidence that reflects the needs of our communities and delivers the infrastructure required to serve new development."

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