Ardingly Activity Centre, Ardingly Reservoir & South East Water, Rocfort Road - Public Inspection
What is happening?
SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED
APPLICATION FOR DROUGHT PERMIT UNDER SECTION 79A WATER
RESOURCES ACT 1991
TAKE NOTICE that due to the threat of a serious water shortage in the Sussex Region of South East Water’s supply area caused by an exceptional shortage of rain, South East Water of Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AH is applying to the Environment Agency for a Drought Permit under section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991.
The proposed Drought Permit will involve amending South East Water’s Abstraction Licence (Number 21/128), dated 30th March 2004, as follows:
1. Reduce the compensation release for the purpose of maintaining flow in the Shell Brook downstream of Ardingly Dam, as measured at the Shell Brook gauge (NGR TQ 3348 2861), from 4,000m 3 per day to 1,000 m 3 per day; and
2. With immediate effect, altering the period when authorised abstraction can occur on the Upper Ouse, to remove the 1 st November condition and permit abstraction to occur immediately, subject to meeting all other conditions under Schedule 4 of the licence.
The anticipated effect of this Drought Permit, if granted, will be to reduce the operational rate of drawdown, and assist in the winter refill of Ardingly Reservoir.
The proposed adjustments to the Abstraction Licence have been designed to have minimal consequence to the water environmentand associated ecology. Catchment monitoring will be undertaken throughout the winter period when the Drought Permit will be operational and any appropriate mitigation strategies will be deployed, if any are required. This response will enable South East Water to ensure there is a sufficient supply of drinking water for the remainder of the year and during 2026.
Anyone may inspect the proposals free of charge at the addresses below during normal working hours (9am to 4pm), until Friday 5 September at:
Ardingly Activity Centre, Ardingly Reservoir, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6SQ
South East Water, Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AH
A copy of the application documents will be hosted at
Objections may be made to the Environment Agency quoting the name of the applicant and reference NPS/DP/250017 by email to: PSC-
WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk
Or by post to: Environment Agency, Permitting Support Centre, BLANK.DOT 2, Water Resources Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue
Parkway Business Park, Sheffield, S9 4WF
Objections should be made by Friday 5 September The response should outline if you are making a formal objection to the proposal and the grounds for the objection.
Nick Price, Head of Water Resources, South East Water
23 August 2025
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