Cambridgeshire faces 'incredibly serious' water shortage if concerns not acted on, warns council
A motion showing alarm around claims that concerns aren't being taken seriously has passed
Cambridgeshire could face a water shortage if supply concerns aren't taken seriously, according to councillors.
The warning comes as South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) raised the alarm after a system that aims to take pressure off the county's water network caused by new housing is not moving forward.
Councillors heard that a water credits system - announced in 2024 to relieve pressure on the county's water network caused by new housing developments - was not being progressed.
The Greater Cambridge Development Corporation has said they're working on how the system would be shaped but that it's not being "actively progressed".
“We should make it very clear that the water shortage in Greater Cambridge is incredibly serious," Cllr Dr Richard Williams, Conservative, said.
“We all saw it in the summer with the drought that we experienced.
“If we have another few summers like that, I think Greater Cambridge could have a very serious water problem.”
“We need really serious action – we need it now.”
Supply concerns already raised
Earlier this year, several companies including Anglian Water and Cambridge Water were warned by Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Government about risks to their water supplies.
The authorities raised concern over these companies' performance in areas ranging from leakages and chemical pollution to unsustainable abstraction from the environment and demand management.
To Anglian Water, regulators shared their concerns that supply limits in some of their areas could hinder growth and sustainable development as potential new users are turned down.
Weeks of hot, dry weather has since led to a hosepipe ban being introduced to parts of the East of England - including Cambridgeshire - something that Anglian Water has said could run into the winter.
Cllr Williams asked SCDC to support a motion showing "alarm" at statements from what he claimed was more than one agency that "water supply is no longer regarded as an immediate concern in Greater Cambridge."
The motion passed unanimously.
The Conservative councillor asked South Cambridgeshire District Council to support a motion expressing “alarm” at recent statements made “from more than one agency” which suggest “water supply is no longer regarded as an immediate concern in Greater Cambridge”.
Lack of concern 'beyond belief'
Cllr Chloe Wills-Eve, of the Liberal Democrats, asked how this could be the case while a hosepipe ban which came into effect in July is still ongoing.
The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “How can water no longer be considered an immediate concern when existing residents are being asked to restrict their own usage?," she said.
“I’m not opposed to development but it must be sustainable."
Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, Liberal Democrat, said it was “beyond belief” that they were not taking water supply issues as “seriously as they need to be”.
Cllr Heather Williams, leader of the Conservatives on SCDC, said they were unable to object to planning applications based on water supply because the credits system was promised.
The Conservative councillor said: “It does make me think what’s happened to those planning consents that are already out there, that were made on the basis of water credits coming through," she said.
“Everyone needs to try and really emphasise the need to sort this out quickly and we also need the backup to be able to say no to development if these matters are not resolved.”