Contact: Mike Bridgeman, ext 5832

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the Hampshire Water Strategy be adopted and that the Director of Environment at the County Council have delegated authority to agree any minor alterations.

2. Reason

2.1 To provide the basis for future partnership work on managing Hampshire's freshwater environment.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Not to coordinate the public, private and voluntary sectors' efforts in managing Hampshire's freshwater environment. This was rejected as, in order to maintain the county's high quality water environment, the range of pressures on water has to be tackled in partnership.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Background

7.1 In response to a range of pressures being placed on the county's freshwater environment, the County Council is addressing water issues, both directly and in partnership. As a first step, the County Council attempted to improve its own performance and launched its Corporate Water Action Plan in February 2001.

7.2 This work has been complemented by a partnership approach to addressing freshwater issues across the whole of Hampshire, as a number of organisations joined together in 2001 to develop a Hampshire Water Strategy, the first of its kind in the UK. The design of the strategy's action plan and its holistic approach to water issues builds on the successful format adopted in the Corporate Water Action Plan.

7.3 Whilst the County Council has been the catalyst for preparing the document, the publication has been prepared in partnership with organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors. The Hampshire Water Strategy Steering Group includes representatives from Bryant Homes, the Environment Agency, Hampshire Wildlife Trust, the County Council, Hampshire Association of Town and Parish Councils, the National Farmers' Union, New Forest District Council, Southampton City Council, Southern Water and WaterVoice Southern. Each partner organisation is also adopting the strategy internally, and any changes will be submitted to the County Council, which is acting as editor of the document. It is considered that the Director of Environment at the County Council will have delegated authority to agree any minor alterations.

8. Overview of the Hampshire Water Strategy

8.1 The Hampshire Water Strategy has an overall aim "to ensure the long-term future of Hampshire's freshwater environment". After exploring the impact of pressures such as pollution, increasing demand, flooding and climate change, the strategy sets out 50 actions under the headings of agriculture, biodiversity, water conservation, development planning, sustainable drainage, and land and river management. Specific actions range from wetland restoration and creation to piloting a Hampshire water festival, and from reviewing planning policies on water to identifying a water champion in every parish in the county.

8.2 Publication of the Hampshire Water Strategy does not commit the County Council to any additional resource implications.

9. Recent Consultation on the Draft Hampshire Water Strategy

9.1 A draft version of the Hampshire Water Strategy was published for consultation in July 2002, with the closing date for comments in October 2002. Seven hundred copies of the document were distributed and 52 responses received, including one from the County Council's Environment Policy Review Committee (16 October 2002 meeting). The responses were overwhelmingly supportive both of the principles behind and the wording of the Hampshire Water Strategy, and many constructive comments were received to improve the document. The Steering Group has now considered each response and revised the strategy accordingly. Whilst there have been no structural changes to the main text in the document, the Action Plan has been significantly revised and is attached as an appendix.

10. Next Steps

10.1 Each of the ten organisations on the Steering Group is now consulting senior Members and officers within its organisation on the final wording of the strategy before it is launched on World Water Day in March 2003.

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