Controversial plans to build new Cambridge sewage works approved
The plant will replace the existing sewage works in the north east of the city
Plans to build a new Cambridge sewage works in the green belt have been approved.
The government announced yesterday (8th April) that it would approve the plans, despite the examining authority recommending that consent should be withheld.
The project will see the new Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant built on land to the north of the A14 between Horningsea and Fen Ditton, known as Honey Hill.
The plant will replace the existing sewage works in the north east of the city, in order for the land it sits on to be redeveloped as part of the North East Cambridge development, which is proposed to include around 8,000 new homes and new commercial buildings.
The government has committed £277million to the project to build the new sewage works, with the overall cost estimated to be around £400million.
The plans for the new sewage works have been met with backlash from people in the area.
During the six month examination process objections questioned why green belt land should be “sacrificed” in order to build the new sewage works.
The examining authority which looked at the application recommended that a Development Consent Order should not be granted to Anglian Water for the project.
The examiners argued that they did not think the case for the principle of the development has been “adequately justified in either infrastructure or wider policy terms”.
However, Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs, disagreed on this issue.
In a letter he said the proposed development had been justified.
The letter said: “The Secretary of State considers that the relocation of the existing waste water treatment plant will unlock a long-held ambition to redevelop North East Cambridge and enable the delivery of thousands of new homes and new jobs in a highly sustainable location development has been frustrated for decades by the presence of the existing waste water treatment plant.
“Approval of development consent is consistent with the government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes and consistent with the achievement of sustainable development.”