Water Delivery Taskforce unlocks almost 19,000 homes across East of England
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said 18,771 homes had been unlocked after the taskforce helped resolve concerns raised by Anglian Water over wastewater treatment capacity.
Almost 19,000 new homes across East Anglia, Lincolnshire and the Home Counties have moved closer to construction following intervention by the Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said 18,771 homes had been unlocked after the taskforce helped resolve concerns raised by Anglian Water over wastewater treatment capacity.
Anglian Water had previously objected to a number of large-scale housing developments because of concerns that existing infrastructure would be unable to support additional homes.
The taskforce brought together the utility company, local planning authorities and regulators to agree a new approach, allowing infrastructure upgrades to be delivered in phases alongside major developments.
The Government said the agreement will enable Anglian Water to work with developers and councils earlier in the planning process for schemes of more than 500 homes.
The initiative has also opened discussions around a potential new water recycling centre in Grantham, alongside a strategic pipeline and a 20-million-litre storage reservoir intended to support future housing growth.
The East of England remains one of the driest parts of the country while also experiencing some of the fastest population growth.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds 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.”
Mark Thurston, chief executive of 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 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.”
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