SOUTH WEST WATER TO CREATE UP TO 500 NEW JOBS TO HELP GREEN RECOVERY

01st February 2021

South West Water has published its Green Recovery Initiative – a plan to create up to 500 new jobs and help the region’s economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plans have been submitted to the Government and South West Water’s regulators. If given the go-ahead, they would see the water company’s overall investment increase by 10%, creating hundreds of new jobs over the next four years, benefiting the wider supply chain, and providing opportunities for South West Water’s existing workforce to gain new green skills.

The South West’s economy has been one of the hardest hit by Covid-19. As one of the largest companies in the region, South West Water’s Green Recovery Initiative is focused on opportunities to make an even bigger and more societal contribution, with six projects focused on improving public health, protecting the environment and addressing climate change.

The Green Recovery Initiative has been developed with input from customers, who when surveyed, strongly endorsed the proposals. Support has also been given by the independent WaterShare+ Customer Advisory Panel, whose role includes holding the company to account in delivering for customers.

Susan Davy, Pennon’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Our Green Recovery proposals are focused on opportunities to make an even bigger environmental and societal contribution to the South West for the longer term than we already do today.

“We are confident South West Water can step up to the challenge, deliver for all, and play our part in the Green Recovery.”

Lord Matthew Taylor, Chair of the WaterShare+ Advisory Panel said: “These plans for further enhancing the environment, public health, creating new and better jobs are welcomed, especially as customers’ bills won’t be impacted.”

South West Water’s Green Recovery Initiative is in addition to existing efforts to support the region, having already accelerated delivery of c.£42m of investment, creating 500 new apprenticeships, and being one of the first companies anywhere to take part in the Kickstart scheme, providing work placements to young people at risk of long-term unemployment.

Notes to editors

The Green Recovery Initiative can be viewed here: southwestwater.co.uk/greenrecovery

The Green Recovery Initiative was submitted to Defra, the Environment Agency, and our regulators on Sunday 31 January.

Sharing our success: WaterShare+ is our way of sharing rewards with customers when our performance is better than the targets agreed with our customers and our regulators.

Thanks to our performance between 2015 and 2020 we were able to share approximately £20 million with customers under WaterShare+, meaning that each eligible customer received £20 from us.

If we continue to outperform our current business plan to 2025, we will continue to share benefits with our customers under WaterShare+.

A greater say: A WaterShare+ Advisory Panel has been established to advise on the interests of our customers by providing independent review on elements of our business plan commitments and Board Pledges.

You can find out more about the Panel on our website, where we’ll also keep you up-to-date with details of forthcoming meetings including how you can get involved and have a greater say: www.southwestwater.co.uk/watershareplus