Government plans to build new reservoirs

In a bid to speed up the delivery of new reservoirs, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized control of the planning process to build two major reservoirs for the first time since the 1990s.

The government has a commitment to build nine new reservoirs, and deliver 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament.

No new reservoirs have been delivered since 1992 and it is estimated that the UK could run out of clean drinking water by the middle of the next decade without a major infrastructure overhaul.

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

Two new reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire have been awarded status of ‘nationally significant’. This means the project is so crucial that the planning process is escalated from a local level to the Secretary of State.

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. The Fens would supply 87 million litres to 250,000 homes in the driest region of the UK.

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 £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."