Southern Water unveils multimillion-pound package of investment to improve Chichester and Langstone harbours

Chief executive Ian McAulay has also offered to host a summit of senior leaders, aimed at helping to improve the water quality and important natural habitats in the interconnecting waterways.

Key parties have welcomed the news but say they are keen to see the details and will work together to help to drive the action forward.

Mr McAulay’s announcement today, Wednesday, April 7, follows a series of top-level meetings with local campaigners and political leaders, including Chichester MP Gillian Keegan and Havant MP Alan Mak.

Part of the investment is a new £5million environmental improvement fund and central to the utility company’s commitment to the harbours is an undertaking that a proportion of this will be invested with partners on initiatives that deliver nature-based solutions and environment net-gain for both harbours.

Mr McAulay said: “Saving the internationally important and threatened habitats at Chichester and Langstone harbours is incredibly important to us, our customers and our stakeholders. We are absolutely committed to playing our part by reducing the harm to the harbours’ waters from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).

“Our new £5million environmental improvement fund, as part of our overall spending plans for 2021/22 and beyond, clearly demonstrates Southern Water’s commitment to being an active and involved member of the newly-formed Chichester Harbour Protection & Recovery of Nature group (CHaPRoN). This emerging group is a very welcome and positive step forward in forging a powerful partnership to save our harbours.