Southern Water’s £300 million scheme to provide improved wastewater treatment for Peacehaven and the Brighton and Hove area has been given planning permission by East Sussex County Council.

A scheme is urgently needed to deliver improved wastewater treatment to the Brighton, Hove and Peacehaven area.

A new wastewater treatment and sludge recycling scheme would meet the standards of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive – the Brighton and Hove area is now the only one in East Sussex, and among the last in the UK, not to benefit from a modern wastewater treatment works.

Today, the 95 million litres of wastewater generated every day by the residents of Brighton and Hove, Woodingdean, Ovingdean, Rottingdean, Saltdean, Telscombe Cliffs and Peacehaven, is screened at Portobello WTW before being released over a mile out to sea.

Together with a three-mile stormwater storage tunnel underneath Brighton and Hove seafront, this helps the area’s beaches meet European bathing water standards.

Under Southern Water’s latest scheme proposals, the wastewater will pass through a multi-stage treatment process, including biological treatment, before being released out to sea.

Solid waste removed during this process, known as sludge, will also be treated to produce an organic fertiliser for use in agriculture.

The company wants to build a £300 million wastewater treatment works and sludge recycling centre on land at Lower Hoddern Farm in Peacehaven. It will deliver modern wastewater treatment facilities to serve the communities between Hove and Peacehaven. The company's original proposal was rejected by the Government in July 2007 following a public inquiry.

The new design combines new features, landshaping and planting to blend the proposals into the surrounding landscape.

The new planning application was supported by East Sussex County Council, the planning authority, in August 2008. Following confirmation from the Secretary of State the council has now awarded the permission.

Brighton & Hove City Council has already awarded planning permission for those parts of the scheme which fall within its jurisdiction. These include an underground pumping station at Marine Drive, Brighton, a new underground sewer from Black Rock to the city boundary, and an overflow at Black Rock to release stormwater into the sea during extreme storm conditions and prevent flooding.