IN MONDAY’S Argus an article mentioned “Water shortage could hit Sussex in just ten years, Southern Water says”.

If they believe that, they know what they can do. As a primary supplier of water to the region they are what is known as a “statutory consultee”. What that means is when any planning application for housing development is put before local councils, they have the right to object, stating that they cannot guarantee water supplies to the development concerned.

There is only one problem with this, Southern Water are an abomination known as a private monopoly. They are a private company for which we the people of the region have no choice but to purchase their water services from them.

However as they are a private company, they are answerable to their board of directors and their shareholders. As such every new development means guaranteed extra income for the company.

Because of this they do not of course object to any new housing, as it is not in their interest to do so, even though by their own admission, they say that in the long run they cannot guaranteed continuation of those very water services.

I await with bated breath to see what the southern water companies will make of the Mayfield development, a proposal for 7,000 new houses on the Adur River flood plain north of Henfield.

If Horsham DistrictCouncil is daft enough to give it the green light, will the water companies object? Pigs will fly first.

Don McBeth, Hassocks