The Government has taken control of the planning process for two new reservoirs, the first time this has happened since the 1990s.
These reservoirs will be built in East Anglia and Lincolnshire and have been given ‘nationally significant’ status, moving decision-making up from local authorities to the secretary of state.
The two new reservoirs are expected to supply water to over three quarters of a million homes in some of England’s most water-stressed regions.
The move is part of a wider push to build nine new reservoirs and support plans to deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “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.”
David Black, chief executive of Ofwat, said: “We welcome the clear focus the Government is placing upon accelerating the delivery of supply and resilience schemes that will meet our future water needs and support economic growth.
“Alongside the £2bn of development funding announced at our 2024 Price Review, this will help us to deliver the largest programme of major water infrastructure projects – including nine new reservoirs – seen in decades.”
