Steve Reed OBE MP
Secretary of State.
Water Infrastructure Planning & Delivery Unit
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
10 September 2024 By e-mail only
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your letter dated 13 August 2024 inviting representations from Interested Parties to a Post Examination submission made by the Applicant on 19 July 2024. That submission contained an updated Cumulative Impact Assessment, taking account of planning permissions and related consents sought or granted since the close of the Examination. This letter is the response from Fen Ditton Parish Council (IP 20041408).
FDPC’s responses to consultations and submissions to the Examination detailed our opposition to the principle of the scheme and our conclusion that Anglian Water could and should do more to mitigate the impacts of the proposed project in the event that the move is approved in principle. FDPC supports the Save Honey Hill community action group and the points made in their response and letters to you of 23 August and 14 July.
We wish to draw your attention to the point that the Anglian Water’s additional material on the Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) shows that the recently granted planning permissions will increase demand for effluent and sludge treatment in the Cambridge WWTW catchment in the immediate future. However, a check on the Public Register on 9/9/2024 indicated that the Environment Agency had not yet determined a discharge consent to cover the existing discharges which already exceed the permitted quantity for dry weather flow. Although lower values than the existing consent limits for water quality are anticipated in the Anglian Water’s DCO documentation, we suggest you consider if an update on predicted dry weather flows and consent parameters is needed. The ability of the existing works to achieve the, as yet undetermined water quality limits, is a critical component governing the existing treatment capacity. We note that Anglian Water described the original funding model as avoiding use of funds from the regulated business since the scheme was based on relocation of an existing works to a new works of equal capacities. Given the latest funding plan shows an increase to £277m from the Government via the HIF, it may be relevant to verify the existing effluent treatment works capacity whilst also noting the proposed increase in sludge treatment capacity.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Jones,
pp Vince Farrar
Chairman
c/c Parish Clerk,
Fen Ditton Parish Council
email: clerk@fenditton-pc.gov.uk
C/C Councillor Anna Bradman CCC
Councillor Claire Daunton CCC
Councillor Graham Cone SCDC
Councillor Carla Hofman SCDC
Councillor John Williams SCDC
Anglian Water – Attn K Barclay
Margaret Starkie – Chair, Save Honey Hill