Anglian Water moves ahead with sewage works on Cambridge green belt
Anglian Water is seeking permission to discharge planning conditions so it can start work on a new sewage plant between Horningsea and Fen Ditton
Anglian Water has taken the next step in its plan to build a new sewage works on green belt land outside Cambridge by applying to discharge a number of planning conditions tied to the project.
The new plant is set to be built at Honey Hill, between Horningsea and Fen Ditton, after the government approved the relocation of the existing Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant last month. The current site, in the north east of the city, is due to be redeveloped as part of a larger housing and commercial development known as North East Cambridge.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, gave the go-ahead for the project despite opposition from planning inspectors, who had recommended against it.
In their report, inspectors said: “There is not a convincing case for the project.” They noted that Anglian Water had confirmed there was no current need to expand capacity and that the existing facility could be upgraded instead. They also raised concerns that plans to build new homes, one of the reasons given for the relocation, were not included in the official application.
Mr Reed disagreed. He said the move would “unlock a long-held ambition to redevelop North East Cambridge” and “enable the delivery of thousands of new homes”.
The government has pledged £277million to the relocation, with the total cost expected to be around £400million.
The new site forms part of the proposed Hartree development, where developers hope to build around 5,000 homes. In total, up to 8,000 homes and new commercial buildings could be constructed across the wider North East Cambridge area. No homes have yet been approved for the sewage works site itself.
The project has faced strong opposition from local campaigners. The Save Honey Hill group is raising funds in the hope of launching a legal challenge against the government’s decision through a judicial review. At the time of writing, the group has raised more than £7,500.
A spokesperson for the campaign said: “We continue to believe there are better options that do not involve building on green belt land.”
Meanwhile, Anglian Water has submitted applications to Cambridgeshire County Council to sign off several conditions attached to the development. These include plans for soil management, water quality monitoring, archaeological mitigation, pollution control, waste management, and emergency preparedness.
Meeting these conditions is required before construction of the new plant can begin.