Apply for ordinary watercourse consent (OWC) from us

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 by East Sussex County Council.

Works and activities that do require consent

All permanent and/or temporary works that could impact the flow of water within the watercourse, including:

Changes to an existing culvert (pipe) including but not limited to:
- Replacement of pipe.
- Alterations in length.
- Alterations in pipe diameter.
Changes to an existing channel including but not limited to:
- Rerouting.
- Realignment.
- Removal.
- Culverting.
Introduction of any new structure that extends into the channel or culvert including but not limited to:
- Bridges.
- Weirs.
- Natural flood management dams/barriers.
- Headwalls.
- Pipe/services crossing.
- Erosion protection.
Introduction or changes to a structure designed to contain or divert flood water.
Dredging, raising, or removing any material (this does not include desilting works where material is removed only to the natural bed level of the channel).
Pre-planned emergency response activities (such as planning to use a temporary freestanding barrier in a set location when a flood warning is issued).

Works and activities that do not require consent

Any permanent and/or temporary works that do not impact the flow of water within the watercourse, including:

Outfalls where the headwall does not extend beyond the existing profile of the bank.
Use of ladders and scaffolding towers, so long as the use of them does not increase flood risk and they are removed at the end of each day.
Services/pipes crossing a watercourse when within an existing structure.
Minor works for highways or rights of way on or near bridges and culverts, so long as:
- The work does not affect the riverbed, banks, water level or flow of within the watercourse (including flood flows).
- The work is not undertaken from within a watercourse.
Post and rail fencing or wire fencing within 5 meters of the top of the bank but not on the bank or within the watercourse channel.
- If post and wire fencing is used, it must be either wire strands or at least 100mm spaced mesh.
General maintenance to the watercourse, including:
- Desilting (with no changes to the channel profile).
- Removal of debris or blockages.
- Vegetation clearance.

If you are unsure if your work requires ordinary watercourse consent, please contact Watercourse.Consenting@eastsussex.gov.uk.

Watercourse consenting services and fees

Pre-application advice from a Watercourse Consenting officer 1 hour virtual meeting/ phone call. Review of outline works proposal (maximum 5 pages of documents). Written advice note summarising call.	£130
Site visit or in-person meeting with a Watercourse Consenting officer Site visit or meeting location must be located within East Sussex. Maximum 2 hours.	£340
Virtual meeting or phone call with a Watercourse Consenting officer 1 hour virtual meeting or phone call.	£70
Digital VAT invoice In addition to the standard itemised digital invoice produced as part of the application process.	£60
Application Fee Calculated at the validation stage based on number of chargeable structures within the application.	£50 per structure

Applications

Request pre-application support

To request pre-application advice, submit a completed pre-application form alongside a maximum of 5 pages of supporting documents to Watercourse.Consenting@eastsussex.gov.uk .

Ordinary Watercourse Consent pre-application form. [141.6 KB] [docx]

By submitting a request for pre-application advice, you consent to East Sussex County Council holding and processing your data. For more information, please see our privacy notice.

Apply for ordinary watercourse consent

To apply for ordinary watercourse consent, submit a completed application form alongside all of the necessary supporting documents to ESCC Watercourse Consenting .

Ordinary Watercourse Consent application form. [166.1 KB] [docx]