We're building for better in Biggleswade, with almost £7.9 million of investment to improve local water and wastewater services now and for generations to come. So far, we’ve installed 340 metres of new pipe, which is around half of the new pipeline.

 

Update: Friday 19 June

Our work is temporarily paused

Following an incident on site, we’ve temporarily paused work while a full investigation is carried out. We know this may cause delays and inconvenience, but everyone’s safety has to come first. The investigation will help us understand exactly what happened and what needs to happen before work can safely restart.

The site will stay closed until the investigation is complete, which is likely to be until the middle of next week but could change depending on how the investigation progresses.

There won’t be a full site team working during this time, but our traffic management team will continue to carry out regular checks. Pedestrian access will remain available at all times.

Access while we work

We know road closures are frustrating, especially when they affect where you can park. We originally planned to provide vehicle access to driveways where it was safe to do so. There’s been incidents where barriers have been moved and vehicles have entered the work area, including a moped being driven along the pavement. This has happened overnight and while our teams have been working.

We’re also working around a lot of underground services. Until our teams start working in each section, it isn’t always possible to know exactly what we’ll find underground, so the way we planned to work sometimes needs to change.

Our teams are trusted to make the right decision when something is no longer safe. They’ve made the decision that vehicle access can’t safely continue while we’re working in the closed section.

This means vehicle access to driveways won’t be possible while we’re working in that section, and residents will need to park elsewhere for a short time. Pedestrian access will always be maintained.

If you have special circumstances and need to discuss access, please speak to our site team. They’ll look at each situation and help where it’s safe and practical to do so.

What happens next

Before the work was paused, our team had been working between Windmill View and Berkeley Close. This section will stay closed while the investigation is carried out due to open trenches in the road. Once the investigation is complete and it’s safe to restart, we’ll come back to finish installing the new pipe and put the road back.

Our next section of work will start near Berkeley Close before moving along Hitchin Street past South View, see a map here.

While we’re working in this section, part of Hitchin Street will be closed, along with South View. Access to South View will be via Blunham Road which will change to two-way traffic while we’re working in this section, with two passing places added to help vehicles pass safely.

We’ll hand deliver letters to customers in the area before work starts where access will be affected. Our timings are likely to change again as the work progresses, so please keep checking back here for the latest updates.

Please remember that we need to carry out this work in three main stages:

1. Installing the new pipe in the ground, which is the stage we’re working on now
2. Connecting nearby homes and side streets to the new pipe
3. Removing old ironwork from the previous pipe, including manholes that are no longer needed
This means closures will be needed three separate times along Hitchin Street as we complete each stage. Once we’ve finished one stage, we’ll return to the beginning to carry out the next.

 

What are we doing?

We’re installing brand-new water pipes on Hitchin Street to help cut down bursts and keep taps flowing, and we’re upgrading our water recycling centre to improve the way we clean wastewater, keeping local rivers cleaner as the town grows. We started the work in May, and if everything runs smoothly we’ll be finished on Hitchin Street by the end of September.

Where are the new pipes being installed?

Our new pipes are being installed underground on Hitchin Street, click here to see a map. The pipeline starts from the southern entrance near Langford Road and will carry on up Hitchin Street to past the Saffron Road /Teal Road junction.

We will need to work along this route three times so we can:

  • install the new pipe
  • test the new pipe then connect homes and businesses
  • remove old ironwork and covers in the road

What roadworks will we need?

We know road closures are disruptive and that’s why they’re always a last resort for us. We’ll always look at other options first, working closely with the local authority to agree the safest way to carry out the work. Because of where the new pipe needs to go in the road, most of this work will need to take place under road closures, so we can keep road users, local residents and our teams safe while we get the job done.

When road closures are in place this diversion route must be followed. HGVs must follow this diversion route from 27 April until the end of the project in September because there won't be enough space for them to get through the temporary traffic lights and our working area.

This is our current plan for the roadworks, but the dates are very likely to change as the work progresses. We’ll keep this page updated so you always have the latest information.

Here’s what we’ll have in place while we work:

We'll have more roadworks in place between July and September. We'll update this page once we know more.

 

Frequently asked questions

Why does the pipe need to be replaced?

The water pipes along Hitchin Street have reached the end of their useful life. This has led to 29 bursts since 2005, which we know has meant low pressure or a loss of supply for some of you. We’re really sorry. That’s why we’re installing brand-new pipes now, to reduce the chances of future bursts and keep your water flowing as it should.

We looked at ways to keep traffic moving, including using traffic lights. Because of existing pipes and cables under the road, the new water pipe has to be installed in the middle of the road. This means it wouldn’t be safe and there wouldn’t be enough room to let traffic past while we work on some sections of Hitchin Road. We will use traffic lights where we can.

We know it might seem like a small stretch of road, but there’s a lot involved in doing this safely and properly.

We’ve already worked hard to reduce the programme as much as we can, and we’ll work between 7:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday. Sometimes, though, we need to wait for test results before we can move on to the next stage, which can mean there are times when you won’t see teams on site.

This project isn’t just about laying a new pipe. We also need to make 14 connections into the existing network and connect 167 homes and businesses to the new supply.

The work’s being delivered by our long-term delivery partner, the @one Alliance, working with us to build better water infrastructure across the region. The @one Alliance brings together specialist teams from Anglian Water Asset Delivery and expert partner companies including Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Binnies, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), MWH Treatment, Sweco and Skanska to plan, design and deliver major improvements like this for local communities.

Our normal working hours will be 7:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday so we can finish the work as quickly as possible. And we’ll also work some Sundays if we need to. Sometimes, though, we need to wait for test results before we can move on to the next stage, which can mean there are times when you won’t see teams on site.

We’ll share updates through letters, emails, text messages, this page and social media.

There will be some construction noise, especially for people who live down Hitchin Street. We will do everything we can to keep noise to a minimum and will aim to work during normal daytime hours wherever possible.

We’ll need to dig trenches in the road to lay the new pipes. Once that work is finished, we’ll refill the trenches and repair the road surface with new tarmac. This will be along the sections where we’ve been working, but we won’t be resurfacing the full width of the road.

Yes, the footpaths will stay open for pedestrians. But please take extra care when you're walking past our work.

We’ll try to avoid interruptions where we can. But if we need to switch your water off for a short period at any point, we’ll always let you know in advance.

You can contact us by phone on 03457 919 155 or via email at onealliancecustomers@anglianwater.co.uk and one of the team will be happy to help.

We will always work with the emergency services and, where it is safe, allow access through the work. If it is not safe at the time, they will need to use the agreed diversion route.

We’re investing almost £4.9 million to upgrade your local water recycling centre off Furzenhall Road. This work will improve the way we clean and treat wastewater, helping keep the water we return to the environment even cleaner.

The work is due to start later this year and will take around a year to complete.

We’ll install specialist new equipment that helps remove more of the substances that can affect rivers and streams. This will help protect local waterways and support wildlife in the area as Biggleswade continues to grow.

Discover how we're building for better​
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Hear from the teams that are getting the work done.​

Take a look at the work we're doing​

Find out more about our projects​.

Advanced Water Recycling Technology
Exploring desalination
Protecting the environment
Check what's going on in your area
Building our biggest strategic pipeline
Investing in two new reservoirs