The government has given the green light to build the first major reservoirs in 30 years to supply the building of new homes.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized control of the planning process to build two major reservoirs for the first time since the 1990s.
The new reservoirs, located in East Anglia and Lincolnshire, will supply three quarters of a million homes and unlock the building of tens of thousands more as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
These plans are part of the government’s commitment to build nine new reservoirs, supporting its plans to deliver 1.5m new homes by the end of this parliament.
Anglian Water is proposing to build the Lincolnshire Reservoir to the south of Sleaford, aiming to be operational by 2040. They have also partnered with Cambridge Water to propose the Fens Reservoir, located between the towns of Chatteris and March, set to be completed in 2036.
The Lincolnshire Reservoir would provide up to 166m litres of water per day for up to 500,000 homes. The Fens would supply a much needed 87m litres to 250,000 homes in the driest region of the UK.
Water minister Emma Hardy says: “Today we are backing the builders not the blockers, intervening in the national interest and slashing red tape to make the planning process faster to unblock nine new reservoirs.”
“This Government will secure our water supply for future generations and unlock the building of thousands of homes as part of the Plan for Change.”
Last week, Crown Estate and Lendlease announced they had formed a partnership, which is set to unlock 26,000 new homes.
The deal will see one-third of the 26,000 homes allocated to affordable housing and support the government’s aim to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
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