Defra designates Anglian reservoirs as nationally significant

Defra has designated two new reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire as ‘nationally significant,’ lifting them out of the usual planning track to speed up permissions.

Anglian Water plans to build the Lincolnshire Reservoir by 2040 to provide up to 166m litres of water per day for up to 500,000 homes, and, in partnership with Cambridge Water, the Fens Reservoir by 2036 to provide 87m litres to 250,000 homes.

The designation means the projects will go through the Development Consent Order process, where consent is granted by the secretary of state, rather than the planning permission route where permission is needed from the local authority. Both projects will now progress to consultation phase.

Sian Thomas, director of strategic asset management at Anglian Water, said: “This is a great first step in recognising the scale and importance of these major infrastructure builds but it will require even further innovation and change in regulation to deliver major infrastructure on the scale needed for the UK — for example, developing appropriate infrastructure financing, funding, and procurement models, further reviewing planning reform, and achieving greater regulatory alignment.”

Defra noted that development in Cambridge and North Sussex are currently blocked by water scarcity. It said the Government is legislating so the ‘nationally significant’ designation is automatic for projects which are fundamental to national water resilience, as part of its Plan for Change.