Re-wiggling River Anton: Southern Water's Transformative Restoration Project with Lawrence Gosden

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Lawrence Gosden, Chief Executive of Southern Water, along the river bank of the Anton. Lawrence shares his career path from pipe laying to civil engineering, and explains Southern Water’s role across the UK. The conversation focuses on Southern Water's project about restoring River Anton's health after the postwar river straightening for agriculture damaged habitats and groundwater levels. Southern Water and partners are reversing this by “re-wiggling” the river, restoring backwaters, gravel scours, and re-wetting peat-rich meadows to reduce carbon release. Lawrence describes rapid ecological recovery, emphasizes catchment-based solutions for climate resilience, and reflects on leadership lessons about slowing down and valuing people.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:54 Lawrence Career Origins01:26 Engineering Inspiration02:30 Ops Versus Strategy03:23 About Southern Water04:06 On Location Chalk Stream04:27 Fish Hotel Backwater05:08 Why Chalk Streams Matter06:00 River Restoration History08:00 Re-wiggling the Anton09:11 Peat Meadows and Carbon10:09 Timeline and Lessons10:46 Advice for Utility Leaders12:20 Partnerships and Community13:03 Personal Advice and Wrap