The government has announced that Environment Secretary Steve Reed has “seized control” of the planning process to build two major reservoirs for the first time since the 1990s, describing the move as a “significant intervention to speed up delivery of much-needed reservoirs.”

The two new reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire – the Fens Reservoir in Cambridgeshire and the Lincolnshire Reservoir - have been designated as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

The government says this immediate step delivers on its commitment to fast-track the delivery of nine new reservoirs, supporting its plans to get Britain building and deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament. Without the projects, national water supplies will remain under threat and new homes simply cannot be built.

The designation means the major new reservoir projects can be fast-tracked through the planning process. They will be subject to consultation before they are formally approved, with Environment Secretary Steve Reed overseeing the planning application. Final decisions about the reservoirs will now be taken by the Secretary of State, rather than the local planning authority.

Director of Strategic Asset Management, Sian Thomas from Anglian Water commented:

“Supporting economic growth sits at the core of Anglian Water’s mission and purpose to deliver a prosperous region and UK economy.

“Our vision for the reservoirs goes beyond simply creating a new public water supply. This is a significant investment in England’s water infrastructure and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lasting benefits for people, place and the environment. Not only will the reservoirs be critical in keeping taps running, but they also mean more water can be left in some of the region’s most environmentally sensitive habitats, by reducing the need for abstraction.

“This is a great first step in recognising the scale and importance of these major infrastructure builds but it will require even further innovation and change in regulation to deliver major infrastructure on the scale needed for the UK - for example, developing appropriate infrastructure financing, funding, and procurement models, further reviewing planning reform, and achieving greater regulatory alignment.

“We have shared these recommendations with Ofwat and welcome the focus of the Task Force for Water and the Cunliffe Commission’s review of the regulatory landscape to go further and faster to improve the nation’s water infrastructure.”

Government warns without major infrastructure overhaul UK could run out of drinking water by middle of next decade 

The government is warning that without a major infrastructure overhaul, the UK could run out of clean drinking water by the middle of the next decade as a result of rapid population growth, crumbling infrastructure that has been left to decline, and a warming climate,

“This milestone will streamline and accelerate the planning process, to shore up water resources for over three quarters of a million homes in England’s most water-stressed areas”, the government says.

To sustain water supply into the future, the government also intends to legislate to radically streamline the planning process – meaning the ‘nationally significant’ designation is automatic for projects like these which are fundamental to national water resilience.

"Slashing red tape to make the planning process faster to unblock nine new reservoirs"

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.”

Thousands of much needed homes in Cambridge and North Sussex are currently being blocked due to concerns around water scarcity.

David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat commented:

“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 £2 billion 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.”

Anglian Water are 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 166 million litres of water per day for up to 500,000 homes, while the Fens would supply a much needed 87 million litres to 250,000 homes in the driest region of the UK.

Both projects will now progress to consultation phase, where developers gather views from communities and stakeholders.

Water companies have committed to bring 9 new reservoirs online by 2050, in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Kent, East Sussex and the West Midlands and Somerset. These reservoirs alone have the potential to provide 670 million litres of extra water per day.