General FAQs

Why do we need to do anything?

At the moment, wastewater from the area travels through local sewers, many dating from Victorian times, to Portobello Wastewater Treatment Works (WTW) at Telscombe Cliffs. There, it receives basic treatment, passing through grid-like screens to remove debris such as paper, grit, tampons, condoms and plastic wastes.

This wastewater, a combination of domestic wastewater from toilets, baths, sinks, washing machines and dishwashers, water used in factories and rainfall, is then pumped out to sea through a 1.8km long sea outfall pipe.

The long sea outfall, together with our three-mile long stormwater tunnel built underneath Brighton and Hove beaches, helps to ensure that local bathing waters meet the European bathing water standards.

However, following the rejection of our plans to upgrade the Portobello works, the area is now the only one in Sussex - and among the last in the UK - unable to meet additional European standards on wastewater treatment.

The European Court of Justice ruled in January 2007 that the UK had failed to comply with this European legislation on wastewater treatment in Brighton and Hove, leaving the UK Government open to prosecution and substantial fines.

Following the public inquiry ruling into our first proposals for Peacehaven in 2007, both the Planning Inspector and Secretaries of State highlighted the now “urgent and pressing need” to meet these European standards.

Why Peacehaven?

We chose the site at Lower Hoddern Farm, in Peacehaven, because we believe it is the best option.

This view was endorsed by the Planning Inspector and Secretaries of State in their public inquiry ruling in 2007 following our first application on the site.

They concluded that “no better site had been demonstrated” and the principle of locating the works at Lower Hoddern Farm was “appropriate”.

The Inspector recognised the site met the policies of the Waste Local Plan and the loss of agricultural land was acceptable given the “exceptional need” for the works.

It was also agreed the site raised no serious traffic considerations, had adequate space for the provision of community sports pitches and sufficient expansion room to provide higher levels of treatment in the future.

The proposals also satisfied the Inspector in regard to odour control, human rights, noise and vibration levels, provision of cess disposal and environmental impact.

The site was chosen from an original shortlist of 66 potential locations which were identified and reviewed together with a Local Authority Consultative Group.

We considered the planning, environmental, engineering and operational issues relevant to each location and identified eight sites for further detailed consideration.

These were: Shoreham Harbour, Black Rock, Lower Sheepcote Valley, Upper Sheepcote Valley, Ovingdean South, Peacehaven East, Brookside Farm Tip, Newhaven and North Quay, Newhaven.

It was clear that none of the sites was free of constraints and apparent from the outset that there was no “easy option” for the provision of a new works to serve the area.

We compared the advantages and disadvantages of each site, taking into account all relevant matters including sustainability, proximity to existing infrastructure, space for future expansion and environmental, engineering and operational constraints.

What would it look like?

The wastewater treatment works and sludge recycling centre have been architecturally designed to respond to the surrounding landscape.

We have opted for a compact plant to minimise the amount of land needed to accommodate the treatment works.

The works is oval-shaped with the treatment works and sludge recycling centre linked by the roof to unify the site layout and provide additional screening of the plant.

And we have further enhanced this landscaping and design following suggestions by the Planning Inspector and Secretaries of State in 2007.

The design has been reviewed and significantly improved, with planted mounding on the eastern side and a “green roof”, capable of supporting living grass.

Our new proposals also include land reshaping to blend the proposed works into the wider rolling chalk downland setting and to contain views from the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the north.

What about the traffic?

We have worked closely with the local highway authority, as well as taking into account the views of the local community, to determine the most appropriate access route to the new works.

We considered access options from both the east and the west and, following detailed traffic studies, it was concluded, in agreement with the highway authority, that, both during construction and operation, the suitable and preferable route would be from the west.

Our plan, therefore, proposes an access via Sutton Avenue and Greenwich Way, extending past the Meridian Centre and the Meridian Industrial Estate via a new dedicated access road to the site, approximately 700m in length.

The route passes along roads already used for access to the Meridian Centre and the Meridian Industrial Estate. The proposed new access road would route from the eastern end of Hoyle Road in a north easterly direction to the works.

We have carried out assessments to determine the capacity of existing local roads and the number of additional vehicles likely to be generated, both during construction and operation of the treatment works scheme.

Clearly this traffic would primarily use the A259 but, with over 10,000 vehicles going both east and west on this road each day, studies of the additional traffic likely to be generated do not show any significant impact.

We estimate 23 lorries and 50 small vans or cars would go to and from our site each day during construction. During operation of the plant these numbers would reduce to 15 and 25.

This compares with the 256 lorries and 4,930 small vans or cars currently going up and down Sutton Avenue each day. As a result we believe that the increase in vehicles is unlikely to be perceptible.

However, throughout the scheme we will do everything possible to minimise construction traffic. In particular, an integral part of our scheme's landscape proposals ensure that spoil produced during construction at Peacehaven is, where suitable, kept on site, avoiding the need to take it away.

How will the tunnel be built?

We are proposing to construct an 11km long sewer to transfer wastewater from Black Rock in Brighton to our planned new site at Peacehaven.

The tunnel would be 2.4m (8ft) in diameter and constructed using tunnel boring machines between 45m (148ft approx) and 7m (23ft) below ground level.

We propose to construct the new sewer from two key locations at Ovingdean and Peacehaven. The tunnel boring machines would construct the new sewer in four distinct phases:

Ovingdean shaft to Portobello Pumping Station
Ovingdean shaft to Marine Drive (Roedean) Pumping Station
The new wastewater treatment works site to Portobello Pumping Station
The new wastewater treatment works site to Friars' Bay

We estimate the tunnelling machine would work at a rate of up to 20 metres per day and have identified a 24-metre wide corridor at the surface, under which we propose to route the tunnel.

We have written to all residents whose properties lie within this corridor. However, the precise alignment of the tunnel has not yet been decided at this stage to give flexibility in adjusting the tunnel route within the corridor if required.

The combination of tunnel depth and ground conditions are such that we do not anticipate there will be any noise or vibration at ground level.

In the highly unlikely event people along the pipeline route experience any difficulties while we are tunnelling, we will operate a Rapid Resolution Service. This will enable us to resolve any issues swiftly and directly with residents and businesses.

We propose to construct the tunnel sewer on a 24-hour basis. This is considered best practice and helps prevent the tunnel-boring machines from becoming stuck, a risk if they frequently stop and start.

Why can’t it be at Portobello?

In 1997 we applied for planning permission to build the wastewater treatment works at the site of our existing Portobello works. This permission was not granted and a public enquiry was held. In 2001 Southern Water appealed the decision but we were still denied permission so we had to consider all other locations order to build this vital environmental scheme.

The site at Lower Hoddern Farm was chosen from an original shortlist of 66 potential locations which were identified and reviewed together with a Local Authority Consultative Group.

We considered the planning, environmental, engineering and operational issues relevant to each location and identified eight sites for further detailed consideration.

These were: Shoreham Harbour, Black Rock, Lower Sheepcote Valley, Upper Sheepcote Valley, Ovingdean South, Peacehaven East, Brookside Farm Tip, Newhaven and North Quay, Newhaven.

It was clear that none of the sites was free of constraints and apparent from the outset that there was no “easy option” for the provision of a new works to serve the area.

We chose the site at Lower Hoddern Farm, in Peacehaven, because we believe it is the best option.

This view was endorsed by the Planning Inspector and Secretaries of State in their public inquiry ruling in 2007 following our first application on the site.

They concluded that “no better site had been demonstrated” and the principle of locating the works at Lower Hoddern Farm was “appropriate”.