East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds wants a law change to ensure water companies are consulted over proposals to build new housing.

Currently they are not on the list of statutory consultees whose views must be sought when East Hampshire District Council considers planning applications.

But with water supply becoming a major issue as the government demands that thousands of new houses be built in the district, Mr Hinds feels that has to change.

He said: “I put to the housing minister that the government's decision to double East Hampshire's housing target is unrealistic and wrong.

“There are many reasons why the target should be reconsidered, but one of the most fundamental is that the existing water infrastructure is not capable of supporting development on that scale without infrastructure investment which has yet to materialise.

“I am pressing for water companies to become statutory consultees on major housing applications. Given the increasing pressure on water resources and the need to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place, it is increasingly difficult to justify their exclusion from the planning process.

“Planning decisions should not be made in isolation from the realities of water availability and environmental sustainability.”

Water availability in the Alton area has come under scrutiny following South East Water's response to Basingstoke’s Local Plan.

It stated that its Water Resource Zone 4 - which covers Basingstoke and extends into parts of Alton and the surrounding area - will soon see demand outstripping supply if more homes are built.

Mr Hinds added: “This raises serious questions, not only about the long-term resilience of water supplies for existing customers especially - for example, in times of drought - but also about whether the area can sustainably accommodate new housing development on the scale currently being envisaged.

“I recently met with South East Water to discuss the challenges facing water supply in this part of Hampshire and to seek assurances about whether the necessary infrastructure will be delivered to support the scale of housing growth currently being proposed.

“Local authorities, including East Hampshire District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, have also been working with South East Water to understand both the current constraints and future pressures on the network, and what these mean for planned housing growth.

“What is clear is that South East Water does not expect to be able to support the forecast level of housing growth in East Hampshire until major new infrastructure is in place.”

A South East Water spokesperson said: “South East Water has a 25-year Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP). This plan is reviewed annually and formally updated every five years.

“Our current plan for the period 2025 to 2050 was updated in 2024, and is known as WRMP 24. This plan was developed using government housing targets and demand expectations at that time. Our current investment cycle is designed to achieve those targets.

“Since WRMP 24 was completed, housing growth targets in the area have been increased above our assumptions and it is this additional housing growth we are unable to supply currently.

“In addition, the challenging demand reduction targets set out at the time are proving very difficult to achieve - adding further stress into an already tight supply system.”

South East Water has started the process of developing the WRMP to be published in 2029.

The spokesperson added: “We will be using the latest housing figures when creating the plan to accommodate any planned additional properties, as we have a duty to connect new domestic properties to the water supply network as they are built.

“We are not a statutory consultee in planning applications, but we do review planning applications like this across our supply area, because additional properties could increase water demand beyond what we have planned for in our 2024 WRMP.

“We are committed to working with all stakeholders to find a way forward and we’ll continue to work with local councils and regulators to understand any emerging new housing requirements and if they can be accommodated within our existing supply-demand forecasts prior to the development of our next WRMP.”

Dominic Martin, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for East Hampshire, said: “The situation is made far worse by East Hampshire District Council not having produced a Local Plan. This would at least have afforded our area a small amount of protection in the face of damaging government planning changes.

“We absolutely need new homes but growth should strengthen communities, not place additional pressure on already stretched infrastructure. Residents deserve a planning system that plans properly for the future, with transparency, accountability and sustainability at its core.”

North East Hampshire MP Alex Brewer has already called on South East Water to cease abstraction at Greywell Fen, reflecting wider concerns about protecting the area’s internationally important chalk streams and securing a sustainable long-term water supply for communities across the region.

Mr Martin added: “Damian Hinds needs to step up and convene an open meeting between South East Water and all councillors in the area so everyone has a clear understanding of the water constraints facing our area.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable to be taking water from a Site of Special Scientific Interest against the express instructions of the Environment Agency, without any feasible plan to meet the demand through other means.

“And it’s irresponsible of the government to be opening speculative planning for new homes with no plan to meet the infrastructure they will need.”