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Government breakthrough with Anglian Water could unlock more than 18,000 homes
A breakthrough between the government and Anglian Water has brought 18,771 new homes in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and the Home Counties closer to being built.
Government breakthrough with Anglian Water could unlock more than 18,000 homes #UKhousingThe deal comes after the government’s Water Delivery Taskforce stepped in after the water firm previously objected to several large-scale developments due to concerns over wastewater treatment capacity.
The taskforce brought together local planning authorities, regulators and Anglian Water to agree a path forward.
This new approach will see the water company work with developers and planning authorities at an earlier stage in the process to enable large-scale developments of more than 500 homes, allowing infrastructure upgrades to be funded and delivered in a phased way over multiple investment cycles.
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Emma Reynolds, environment secretary, said: “This is another success story for the government’s Water Delivery Taskforce, which has already unblocked over 55,000 homes with solutions driven by pragmatic thinking and long-term strategy.
“We are unlocking growth and getting Britain building while protecting our precious water supplies. Under this government’s reforms, we are securing a brighter future with new homes and new jobs across the country.”
The taskforce has also begun conversations around a potential new water recycling centre for Grantham, plus the existing construction of a strategic pipeline and 20 million-litre storage reservoir to allow for thousands more homes in the years ahead.
The government described these plans as “key for the East of England”, one of the driest regions in the country but with one of the fastest-growing populations.
Mark Thurston, chief executive officer at Anglian Water, said: “Given the concentration and scale of growth in the East of England, we are at the forefront of many major infrastructure projects, including two new reservoirs, our Strategic Interconnecting Pipeline, hundreds of miles of modern pipes, water recycling infrastructure and nature-based solutions, such as wetlands.
“We are working with regulators to chart the path between environmental compliance and supporting growth, and through our work with Defra’s [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] Water Delivery Taskforce, Anglian Water is working with developers and local planning authorities at an earlier stage in the process to enable large-scale developments of over 500 homes.
“This is an encouraging step forward in enabling us to deliver infrastructure upgrades over multiple investment cycles.”
The developments closer to being built are:
- Spitalgate Heath, Grantham, Lincolnshire: 3,400 homes
- Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, Essex: 7,750 homes
- Beccles, Suffolk: 721 homes
- Baldock, Hertfordshire: 3,200 homes
- Dunton Hills, Essex: 3,700 homes
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