Ordinary Watercourse Consent
You must follow the Ordinary Watercourse Consenting rules if you want to do work on or near an ordinary watercourse. Failure to obtain a consent may place riparian landowners in breach of the Land Drainage Act 1991 and at risk of enforcement action.
Ordinary watercourse consent cannot be granted retrospectively and must be obtained before any works associated with the consent begins. Any work undertaken prior to consent being granted may be considered a breach of the Land Drainage Act 1991 and subject to possible enforcement action.
Consenting authorities
In East Sussex there are two (2) consenting authorities and you should check which authority you need to apply to before making an application.
- East Sussex County Council manage applications in all areas within the county boundary except for the areas covered by the Water Level Management Board.
- Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board manage applications within their district boundary.
You can check whether the watercourse you wish to work on is located within the Board’s District using their boundary map, available on their website:
Mapping - Water Management Alliance : Water Management Alliance
The Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board have their own application forms and whilst their approach is broadly the same as ours the information required may differ to those outlined here. Details of how to apply for consent from the Board can be found on their website: Development & Consent - Water Management Alliance : Water Management Alliance.
