Offsetting delivers ecological and commercial benefits
Developers seeking to build in the Sussex North Water Resource Zone now need to provide a water neutrality statement in support of their plans. As part of Reside Developments’ team of expert advisors, Motion proposed an offsetting scheme at a dairy farm to satisfy the latest water neutrality requirements for new homes at Duckmoor, Billingshurst. An appeal was subsequently upheld for the development of 83 houses.
Reside Planning Director, Andrew Munton, led the application to a successful conclusion. “Duckmoor was an unallocated site, so our challenge was to demonstrate the suitability and sustainability of the scheme. To add to the project complexity, the new water neutrality guidance was introduced in the middle of this process.”
Vision to reality
Andrew continues, “Motion was instrumental in helping us navigate and make sense of the emerging technical requirements, to turn our idea into something deliverable.” The strategy was to reduce water consumption at the Duckmoor development and retrofit a rainwater harvesting system at nearby Dedisham Farm. In addition to utilising existing buildings to capture rainwater, a new barn was proposed to provide additional roof space.
Tim Harrison, partner at Dedisham Farm, explains, “As well as increasing the amount of water captured, the structure would also provide cover for silage pits, significantly reducing the volume and movement of dirty water that would usually need to be treated and stored to prevent it from entering the watercourse.” 
Motion participated in the hearing to explain the practical application of the offsetting scheme. Under a Grampian condition stipulated by the inspector, development at Duckmoor could not commence until the offsite works were permitted by the local authority to facilitate the system at Dedisham Farm.
New homes brought forward
Andrew Munton reflects, “Amid all the uncertainty about the development, it was reassuring to put our trust in Motion to demonstrate the application and efficacy of the proposed mitigation.”
The offsetting scheme now supplies 10 cubic metres of drinking water daily for a herd of 430 permanent dairy cows and 200 young stock on a seasonable basis. The project became one of the first operational offsetting schemes in the region that does not draw water from a private borehole. Meanwhile, the site at Duckmoor has since been sold to Bellway Homes.
Motion Director, Neil Jaques, concludes, “These water-saving measures have unlocked the residential development at Duckmoor, delivering benefits to the farmer, the developers and the residential scheme’s eventual occupiers. Applicants should seek water neutrality advice at the earliest stage possible to avoid lengthy delays to their project.”
An abridged version of this article first appeared in Issue 26 of Insight
