Water, water everywhere?

With the focus on Covid-19, it might have slipped your mind that about now is the time we are normally warned to be careful with our water consumption. Therefore, we thought we would pass on some information from Southern Water, including an infographic aimed at the area North of Chichester you, nonetheless, may find interesting.

Due to the combined impacts of recent hot weather and increased household consumption following lockdown restrictions, across our region, consumption is 13% higher than usual. Southern Water are asking for our support to save water. They are working hard to maintain water pressure and keep customers in supply. Since April, they have found and fixed almost 4,500 leaks - potentially saving 46.5 million litres per day - including more than 260 leaks in customers' own pipework.

There is still widespread concern about parking - in fact my present caseload includes one such incident. We were therefore pleased to learn yesterday that West Sussex are looking into the possibility of a county-wide ban on parking cars on verges or pavements. At present a limited number of Traffic Regulation Orders, which prevent parking off-road in certain areas, are allowed each year. What is being considered is turning things on their head, so the TRO's permit an exception to a county-wide ban.

We have begun work on the District's Covid-19 Recovery Plan; it is hoped it will help our different businesses and communities rebuild and also help mitigate the financial impact on CDC's finances. This morning we considered initial proposals at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including the best approach for each part of the District and in tandem for the District as a whole. I emphasised that something specific needs to be done for our area because the combined population of its wards is nearly that of Chichester and was successful in getting agreement to consult further. On Thursday, at the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee, we are focusing more on mitigating the financial impact. 

Please remember, we are trying to update you on Tuesdays and Fridays each week.

As always, stay safe.

Tim