Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.

TO quote the Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.

Water is one of the major challenges facing the Central South in the coming decades.

Fresh supplies are dwindling and could be stretched further. Also, if nitrate levels rise too high, development could be thwarted.

And when it comes to the sea, while The Solent is a thriving marine economy with the prospect of a Freeport, climate change could present the dilemma whether to retreat inland, or hold the line with costly defences.

However, these issues can be addressed, and progress is being made – that was the message at the Regenerate South Annual Conference.

Around 150 sector leaders in local government, development, and investment gathered at the event. It was held at St Mary’s Stadium, home of Southampton FC, and was kicked off by Councillor Satvir Kaur, who leads the city council.

She said Southampton had plenty of regeneration projects and opportunities, and was seeking to deliver a world class waterfront.

She added: “Nothing has frustrated me more than our city not having a clear identity in the past, and being developed in a piecemeal way without a clear vision.”

Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council who chairs Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH), gave an update on Welborne Garden Village. Work is now underway, but he argued Westminster needed to update its housing targets.

He said: “The population hasn’t grown as it was predicted. There are new figures, and the Government needs to use them.”

He also outlined how the Central South overcame the nitrates issue which led to development stalling elsewhere in Britain.

The solution delivered by PfSH, with funding from Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, was to identify mitigation sites. For example, land owned by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, which was farmed (a primary contributor to nitrates) has been rewilded.

Simon Kennedy, Strategic Environmental Planning Manager at Fareham Borough Council, added that mitigation land had kept development moving, and now comprised 12 regional sites.

However, if the nitrates issue has been neutralised – at least for now – what about water supplies?

Jim Barker, Head of Water Resources at Portsmouth Water, said they faced rising demand and falling supplies caused by climate change.

The firm aims to improve efficiency, encourage less water usage, and to recycle it more effectively.

“Just taking water out of the chalk and putting it into a tap is not the future,” he added.

The conference also heard from Sandra Norval, Southern Water's Future Growth Lead.

She said: “We need to think about how we are using our water resources and how we’re preserving these resources for future use.”

Full time at St Mary’s was then called, leaving delegates pondering not just how to keep their heads above water, but to ensure our taps don’t run dry.

For more insight about the major issues facing the Central South contact Miles Willshire, Managing Director of Fairthorn Consultancy, via [email protected] or 07738 741639.