Gscene News Archive

Southern Water's plans to build a sewage treatment works at Peacehaven to treat wastewater from Brighton and Hove came one step nearer this week when protesters lost their appeal against the project in the high court.

East Sussex County Council gave the scheme planning permission last year, and a High Court judge rejected an initial attempt by Peacehaven residents to hold a judicial review of that consent.

But campaigners Peacehaven Residents Opposed to Urban Development (Proud), supported by local Labour MP Des Turner, raised a ‘fighting fund’ to pursue the case through the Appeal Courts and have pledged to take it through the European Courts.?

The new treatment works is needed to comply with European Union wastewater directives and the UK government faces infraction proceedings if the scheme does not go ahead.

Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven Labour Parliamentary Candidate Simon Burgess, who has opposed Southern Waters proposals since the beginning has expressed his dismay at today’s court decision. Simon undertook a sponsored cycle ride from the High Court to Peacehaven in support of the review and was in court today to hear the case. He said:
"Southern Water and East Sussex County Council have ganged up against local people. I am particularly disappointed that the judge ignored the fact that Southern Water have failed to meet the County Council odour controls at Pebsham for six years. This is very worrying for Peacehaven residents who live closer to the planned Peacehaven works and have every reason to doubt whether the promised odour controls will be met. These works should always have been built on a brownfield site instead".

Pictured - From left: Simon Burgess, Cllr. John Livings and members of PROUD at the High Court