I’ve challenged West Sussex County Council to do more to identify and tackle pollution entering our stormwater drainage systems, warning that protecting Worthing’s bathing waters requires action from every organisation responsible, not just Southern Water.

At the County Council’s Full Council meeting on Friday 16 October, I questioned the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Councillor Natasha Davie, about what the authority is doing to investigate sources of pollution entering surface water drainage systems, particularly through highway gullies.

As the County Councillor for Worthing West, I’ve been hearing from residents who are understandably frustrated about sewage pollution and the condition of our bathing waters.

Our beaches are among Worthing’s greatest assets, and residents deserve to know that everything possible is being done to protect them.

But while Southern Water rightly faces scrutiny over sewage discharges, I’ve been making the case that we also need to look much more closely at other sources of pollution reaching our coastline.

Holding the County Council to account

During the meeting, I put the following question directly to the Cabinet Member:

“Residents in Worthing West are rightly fed up of sewage and pollution entering our bathing water. What is this Council doing to identify and investigate sources of pollution entering our storm water drainage system? And how is she coordinating with other councils, private water companies and the Environment Agency on this?”

It’s an important question because West Sussex County Council, as the local highway authority, has responsibilities for managing highway drainage across the county.

When rain falls on our roads, it can wash pollutants into gullies and surface water drainage systems, potentially carrying them into local waterways and eventually the sea.

We need to understand where this is happening, identify the sources of contamination and make sure the relevant organisations are taking action.

Protecting our bathing waters cannot simply be left to Southern Water. Every responsible organisation must play its part.

Cabinet Member agrees to seek Government guidance

In her response, Councillor Davie acknowledged the scale and complexity of the challenge.

West Sussex County Council is responsible for a highway network extending over 4,000 kilometres, with an extensive system of gullies and drainage infrastructure.

She explained that managing these systems presents significant challenges and confirmed that she intended to write to the Department for Transport seeking further guidance.

I welcomed that commitment.

However, I also made clear that residents expect practical action alongside discussions with central government.

We’ve spent far too long talking about pollution without getting to grips with all the different ways it reaches our beaches.

I want to see the County Council working proactively with Southern Water, district and borough councils, the Environment Agency and other partners to investigate pollution hotspots and identify practical solutions.

That includes looking at highway drainage, misconnections and opportunities to prevent contaminated runoff entering our waterways.

Securing cross-party support for the Environment Agency

I also used the opportunity to raise concerns about proposals to abolish the Environment Agency.

The Conservative Party had recently announced a policy to abolish the agency, something I believe would raise serious questions about the future of environmental monitoring and enforcement.

During the meeting, I asked Councillor Davie, a Green Party councillor, whether she would join me in publicly supporting the Environment Agency and the important work it carries out.

I’m pleased that she agreed.

Protecting our environment should transcend party politics, and where we can work together to achieve that, we absolutely should.

The Environment Agency plays an essential role in monitoring pollution, investigating incidents and holding polluters to account.

Residents want cleaner seas, independent monitoring and proper enforcement.

That means strengthening environmental protection, not weakening it.

I’m pleased we were able to establish common ground on this important issue, despite representing different political parties.

A joined-up approach to protecting Worthing’s coastline

As Worthing Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, I’ve also been pressing for greater transparency and accountability over bathing water quality.

I’ve called for fully independent, year-round testing of Worthing’s bathing waters, with the results made publicly available, rather than relying solely on information published by Southern Water.

I’ve also proposed amendments to a council motion calling for West Sussex County Council to be formally approached about its responsibilities for preventing pollution entering stormwater systems through highway gullies.

These issues are closely connected.

We need better information about the quality of our bathing waters, but we also need to understand and tackle the sources of pollution in the first place.

That requires cooperation between councils, water companies, regulators and local communities.

It’s also why I welcome the work being undertaken on the Teville catchment management pilot, which offers an opportunity to take a broader approach to managing water and addressing drainage problems across Worthing.

Turning commitments into action

I’m pleased that my question prompted a commitment from the Cabinet Member to seek further guidance from the Department for Transport, and that we were able to agree on the importance of supporting the Environment Agency.

But the real test will be what happens next.

I’ll continue pressing for greater cooperation, clearer responsibilities and practical measures to prevent pollution reaching our beaches.

I want to see investigations into sources of pollution, improvements to drainage infrastructure and meaningful progress towards cleaner bathing waters.

Worthing residents deserve clean seas, independent monitoring and proper environmental enforcement.

That’s what I’ll continue fighting for at both borough and county level.