Anglian Reservoirs to Go Through Central Planning

Anglian Water’s ambitious plans for two major new reservoirs in eastern England are set to move forward under central government planning control, rather than relying on local consent. In a bid to fast-track critical water infrastructure, the UK government has designated these projects as nationally significant – the first major reservoirs in England approved in over 30 years. This decisive shift to a streamlined approval process is poised to accelerate construction, strengthen drought resilience, and support regional growth in some of the country’s most water-stressed areas.

Government Fast-Tracks First New Reservoirs in Decades

Citing an urgent need to secure future water supplies, Environment Minister Steve Reed announced in May 2025 that two proposed reservoirs – one in Lincolnshire and one in the Fens (Cambridgeshire) – have been granted nationally significant infrastructure project status. This means the planning and consent will bypass the normal local authority route and instead be handled through the central Planning Inspectorate and signed off by the Secretary of State. By taking this approach, ministers aim to slash red tape and speed up approvals for vital water projects. “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,” said Water Minister Emma Hardy, emphasizing the government’s commitment to infrastructure delivery. “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,” she added.

This intervention marks the first time since 1992 that entirely new large reservoirs have been ordered to proceed in England. The move comes against a backdrop of mounting water scarcity concerns. A combination of population growth, aging infrastructure, and more frequent droughts due to climate change has put intense pressure on regional water resources. The government warned that without major new capacity, parts of the UK could run out of clean drinking water by the mid-2030s. “If we don’t build the reservoirs, we’re going to be running out of the drinking water we need by the mid-2030s,” Minister Hardy further noted in a recent interview, underscoring the tight timeline. By elevating the reservoirs to central planning, officials are effectively ordering these projects to go ahead on a faster track in the national interest.

Fens and Lincolnshire Reservoir Projects at a Glance

The two reservoir schemes in question – commonly referred to as the Fens reservoir and the Lincolnshire reservoir – are among the largest water infrastructure projects proposed in the UK in decades. Anglian Water, which serves the dry East of England region, is leading both developments (with Cambridge Water partnering on the Fens site). The Lincolnshire reservoir is planned near the village of Winterton (south of Sleaford, Lincolnshire) and is targeting an operational date of 2040. Designed to provide up to 166 million litres of water per day, it could supply around 500,000 homes with clean water once complete. The Fens reservoir, to be located between the towns of Chatteris and March in Cambridgeshire, is expected to be finished by 2036 and deliver about 87 million litres per day to roughly 250,000 homes in the surrounding area. These new facilities would significantly bolster water storage in England’s driest region.

Each project represents a massive construction undertaking. Preliminary estimates put the Lincolnshire reservoir’s cost at approximately £2.6 billion, while the Fens reservoir is expected to cost around £2.2 billion. The Fens site would encompass roughly 5 square kilometers of land, capable of holding about 55 million cubic meters of water when filled. Both reservoirs are planned as earth-banked, man-made lakes that will collect and store excess rainfall in wetter periods to ensure supply during droughts. Beyond water provision, designers have indicated these reservoirs could create new local amenities – aiming to offer recreation, wildlife habitat, and community benefits alongside their core function.

Central Planning vs Local Consent: Accelerating the Timeline

By designating the reservoirs as nationally significant infrastructure, the government has effectively seized control of the planning process from the local level. Normally, projects of this scale would require approval from county councils and could face lengthy public inquiries or even rejection due to local objections. Under the central route, however, Anglian Water will apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) through the Planning Inspectorate, and a final decision will be made by the Environment Secretary. This streamlined DCO process is expected to significantly compress the timeline for approval.

Anglian Water has indicated it plans to submit the DCO applications by 2026, with hopes of securing consent by 2027. If all goes to plan, construction could begin around 2029, several years earlier than if the projects slogged through traditional local planning. Government officials are also preparing legislation so that future crucial water projects automatically qualify for this fast-track. The philosophy, as Minister Hardy put it, is about intervening in the national interest to overcome bureaucratic delays. Industry leaders have lauded the decision to centralize decision-making. “It’s absolutely critical that we build these reservoirs now,” said David Henderson, chief executive of industry body Water UK. “If we wait another 10 years, it’s going to cost even more, so we can’t keep kicking the can down the road any longer,” he warned, noting the financial and environmental costs of inaction.

While central planning accelerates the process, it doesn’t eliminate community input entirely. Both reservoir projects will still undergo public consultation phases as part of the DCO requirements, allowing local residents and stakeholders to voice concerns and influence mitigation plans. However, ultimate approval no longer rests with local councils, which means fewer opportunities for local politics or opposition groups to block the projects outright. This change has raised some debate – with a few experts cautioning that bypassing local consent could inflame public opinion if communities feel overruled. Nonetheless, the prevailing sentiment in the construction and water industry is that fast-tracking essential infrastructure is necessary to meet looming water security deadlines.

Infrastructure Development to Support Regional Growth

A major driver behind these reservoirs is the need to unlock broader development and economic growth in eastern England. The government’s own housing agenda has been constrained by water supply limitations in this region. In fact, thousands of new homes planned in areas like Cambridge have been put on hold in recent years due to concerns that there isn’t enough water to sustain them. By boosting capacity for an additional 750,000-plus homes across Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, the new reservoirs will remove a key hurdle to building much-needed housing. Ministers have directly linked water infrastructure to the nation’s homebuilding targets, noting that without new reservoirs, new homes simply cannot be built. Under the administration’s Plan for Change, the goal is to deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current Parliament – an aim that relies on projects like these to provide essential services to future communities.

From a construction industry standpoint, the reservoirs signal a massive investment in regional infrastructure that will generate jobs and supply chain opportunities. Each multi-billion pound project will create hundreds of construction jobs during the build phase, and spur ancillary works such as pipelines, treatment facilities, access roads, and flood management systems. The government has identified 150 major infrastructure projects nationwide (including roads, energy, and water schemes) to prioritize this decade, viewing them as catalysts for post-pandemic economic recovery and long-term prosperity. The Lincolnshire and Fens reservoirs, in particular, will bolster economic confidence in the East of England by ensuring water security for new businesses and communities. Local authorities anticipate that improved water availability will attract investment and allow new housing, schools, and industries to flourish in the 2030s and beyond. In short, these reservoirs are not just environmental necessities but also economic enablers for regional development.

Even as the planning route shifts to Westminster, rigorous environmental assessment remains a cornerstone of the reservoir projects. Anglian Water will need to produce detailed Environmental Impact Assessment reports examining how each reservoir could affect ecosystems, farmland, river systems, and local settlements. Issues such as land use change (the Fens reservoir will submerge low-lying agricultural fields), biodiversity impacts, and alterations to drainage and flood patterns will all be scrutinized. The central planning process is expected to uphold high environmental standards – if anything, the national spotlight may demand even more thorough analysis to justify the reservoirs’ benefits. Regulators like the Environment Agency will weigh in, and conditions may be imposed to ensure wildlife habitats are created or preserved around the new lakes.

Infrastructure Development to Support Regional Growth

Crucially, the motivation behind these reservoirs is rooted in climate adaptation. Experts note that storing more water in wet seasons is vital to buffer against the hotter, drier summers forecast in coming decades. “They would provide more resilience to future droughts in a part of the country that is already dry and where there is high demand for water,” explained Dr. Glenn Watts of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, stressing the positive impact on regional water security. Larger reserves of water will help maintain river flows and public supply during prolonged dry spells, reducing the risk of hosepipe bans and ecosystem stress. By capturing excess rainfall, reservoirs also enable better flood management downstream during extreme rain events.

Nonetheless, community concerns will need addressing. The construction of large reservoirs often requires relocating some residents and repurposing significant tracts of land, which can be contentious locally. There are farmers and homeowners in the designated areas who face disruption and have voiced fears about loss of property and livelihoods. Some critics argue that imposing a project of this scale without local consent sets a worrisome precedent. However, planning authorities and engineers insist that local voices aren’t being ignored – rather, they will be heard through an intensive consultation and examination process, just under a national framework. As David Porter of the Institution of Civil Engineers observed regarding such projects, decisions must sometimes be made for the greater good but with careful consideration of community input. Mitigation measures – such as offering fair compensation, creating new nature reserves, and designing recreational amenities – are expected to be part of the plan to leave a positive legacy for local communities.

Environmental Assessments and Community Impact

The construction and water industries have broadly welcomed the government’s intervention as a long-awaited step to break through planning gridlock. Regulators and water company leaders in particular have praised the focus on infrastructure. “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,” said David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat, referencing the move to fast-track projects. He noted that alongside £2 billion in development funding earmarked in the latest regulatory review, this push will enable the largest program of water infrastructure projects seen in decades. Industry bodies believe that having central backing will provide more certainty for investors and contractors looking to engage in these complex builds.

At the same time, experts emphasize that fast-tracking planning is just one piece of the puzzle. Delivering two giant reservoirs by the 2030s will require innovative approaches to financing, procurement, and project management. Sian Thomas, Anglian Water’s Director of Strategic Asset Management, highlighted the scale of the challenge: “This is a great first step in recognising the 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.” In other words, the construction industry and regulators may need to explore new funding partnerships or streamlined regulatory approvals beyond planning consent to ensure these projects don’t stall.

Final Thoughts

The call for innovation also extends to how water is managed alongside new infrastructure. Analysts point out that building reservoirs alone isn’t a silver bullet – efforts to reduce water waste, fix leaks, and promote efficient water use will remain essential, especially as population growth continues. However, from a construction perspective, the green light for the Fens and Lincolnshire reservoirs is a clear signal of intent. It represents billions of pounds of investment and years of work in the UK civil engineering sector, and showcases how central government can drive infrastructure delivery when time is of the essence. With proper environmental oversight and community engagement, these reservoirs are poised to become cornerstone projects that secure water supplies and underpin sustainable growth across East Anglia in the decades to come.