Following the acceptance of our DCO application for examination by the Planning Inspectorate in June, our application will now be examined in detail by an independent Examining Authority before a recommendation is made to the Secretary of State.
Ben Ring, Managing Director for Capital Projects, said: “As a project of national significance, the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project forms a vital part of our plans to secure resilient water supplies for future generations.
“Combining this project with the Havant Thicket Reservoir will help protect the sensitive chalk streams of the River Test and River Itchen by providing up to 111 million litres of water a day. The ability to create a new source of water using water recycling will play a critical role in keeping taps and rivers flowing, especially during a drought.
“The examination process is an important stage in the project's development, providing an opportunity for the independent Examining Authority to scrutinise our proposals in detail. As the first water supply project to progress through the Development Consent Order process, it also represents a significant milestone for both the project and the wider water sector.
“We welcome this rigorous and transparent process and look forward to engaging constructively throughout the examination. We are confident in the benefits the project will deliver for customers, communities and the environment and we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our proposals.”
What happens during the examination?
The examination will run from November 2026 to May 2027 and will include written submissions and hearings, allowing the Examining Authority to consider different aspects of our proposals in detail.
Interested Parties will also have opportunities to make representations to the Examining Authority throughout the examination.
The first hearings
The examination begins with a Preliminary Meeting and the first hearings at Fareham Innovation Centre, Merlin House, 4 Meteor Way, Fareham, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO13 9FU:
- Preliminary Meeting: 10am, Wednesday 11 November 2026
- Open Floor Hearing 1: 2:30pm, Wednesday 11 November 2026
- Issue Specific Hearing 1 - Water environment: 10am, Thursday 12 November 2026
The Preliminary Meeting is a procedural meeting considering the examination timetable and arrangements. The Open Floor Hearing provides an opportunity for Interested Parties to make oral representations, while the first Issue Specific Hearing will consider matters relating to the water environment.
The hearings are open to members of the public to observe in person or online via a livestream.
The Planning Inspectorate's (PINS) project page will provide the latest examination timetable, hearing information, documents and correspondence. The PINS page is also the best place to stay updated on the Project, as further hearings may be arranged during the examination. In addition, we will continue to update our consultation website's home page with any subsequent hearing information.
Stay up to date
Sign up for updates here:https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/WA010002/get-updates/start.
Further information about the Development Consent Order process is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects-and-the-people-and-organisations-involved-in-the-process.