Today (8 April), the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, has granted development consent for Anglian Water’s Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant Relocation Project (CWWTPR).
 
In March 2019, funding was allocated to Anglian Water and Cambridge City Council by the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to submit a Development Consent Order to relocate the existing Cambridge waste water treatment facility. The relocation is designed to unlock the North East Cambridge area, including the major undeveloped brownfield site, known as Hartree, for mixed use redevelopment. This will provide an opportunity to transform the area to create a significant new city district.
 
The new district has been proposed in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils’ North East Cambridge Area Action Plan and emerging joint Greater Cambridge Local Plan. It could deliver over 8,300 homes, over 15,000 new jobs and a wide range of community, cultural and open space facilities.
 
Since the Development Consent Order (DCO) Examination ended, the Government has been reviewing the proposals in light of the revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which was formalised on 12 December 2024.
 
The decision to grant consent for the project follows several years of planning by Anglian Water, which included an extensive programme of consultation with the community and stakeholders and a six-month Examination of the DCO application by the Planning Inspectorate’s Examining Authority.
 
The treatment facility, as well as being operationally net zero carbon, will be energy neutral.  The surrounding area has been designed to create new habitats for wildlife, and increase biodiversity, ensuring the site delivers environmental benefits for the long term.
 
David Barnetson, Programme Director for Anglian Water said:
 
“The Government has made clear its priority to drive growth to stimulate the economy.  The decision from the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP today, to grant development consent for this project, is a significant milestone in facilitating this for Greater Cambridge and moving to the next phase of activity.
 
“We look forward to progressing the project with our partners, and in line with the requirements set out by the DCO Determination. We are committed to continue engaging with key stakeholders and surrounding community during the next phases of work, prior to construction.”
 
Fiona Bryant – Director of Major Regeneration Programmes at Cambridge City Council, said:
 
“The development consent granted by the Secretary of State is very much welcomed and gives us the clarity we need to continue working towards proposals to build an exemplar, sustainable new quarter of the city. We have a housing affordability crisis in Cambridge and as a council we are committed to building more new homes, including council homes, to address this. Working with Anglian Water our proposals for Hartree in the heart of the new North East Cambridge district, would support our vision for a Cambridge where everyone has a warm, safe, and affordable home,  alongside new green spaces, shops, workplaces, and education, community and leisure facilities, which will serve the north east of the city and surrounding areas.”
 
“The project team have worked extremely hard over the last 2-3 years to engage local people of all ages in the Hartree master planning process and to design the development to support community wealth building in North East Cambridge.”
 
Pauline Schaffer – Director of Infrastructure Funding at Homes England said:
 
“The approval of the DCO for this nationally significant scheme is a key milestone in supporting the development of life sciences and new homes in North East Cambridge.
 
“Funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund was approved to help regenerate the last large brownfield site within the area in order to unlock over 8,000 much needed new homes and is a prime example of how we are working with partners like Cambridge City Council and Anglian Water to create thriving places that people can be proud of.”
 
Anglian Water and project partners will now review the Secretary of State’s decision in full to ensure all ongoing work is planned and implemented subject to the requirements set out by the DCO Determination.