Serious water stress and the 110 litre standard
The Environment Agency’s 2021 classification puts Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, Affinity Water, SES Water and Portsmouth Water all in areas of serious water stress. Several councils therefore require new homes to meet the optional standard of 110 litres per person per day: South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse already do, and their emerging joint local plan proposes 100 litres.
Related: Water efficiency calculations, Sustainability statements
Water neutrality in Sussex North
From September 2021, development in the Sussex North area, which includes Horsham and Crawley, had to show it was water neutral. Horsham District Council reports that Natural England withdrew that position statement on 31 October 2025, so water neutrality statements are no longer needed there, but new homes in the district are still conditioned to the 110 litre standard.
Related: Water efficiency calculations
Radon in parts of the region
Radon is present across the South East: West Oxfordshire District Council says much of the north of its district is affected, and UKHSA measurement data include homes above the radon Action Level in every county of the region. New buildings, extensions and conversions in affected areas need basic or full radon protection, which we confirm from a site report and show in the Building Regulations drawings.
Related: Building Regulations drawings and plan review, Building Regulations applications
Southern Water, Thames Water and build overs
Southern Water provides wastewater services in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, even where South East Water, Portsmouth Water, Affinity Water or SES Water supplies the drinking water, while Thames Water covers much of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey. Both need approval before you build within 3 metres of a public sewer, and Southern Water’s process includes a CCTV survey of the sewer.
Related: Drainage design and applications, CCTV drainage surveys
Shared houses in Oxford
An Article 4 direction has applied across the whole of Oxford since 25 February 2012, so changing a family house into a small shared house (C4 HMO) needs planning permission. Once let, a shared house needs gas safety checks and an EICR like any rented home, and its common parts need a fire risk assessment.
Related: Fire risk assessment, Electrical installation condition reports (EICR), Gas safety checks
