Anglian Water resubmit their DCO application to relocate the Cambridge Sewage works to Greenbelt

After withdrawing its application in February, Anglian Water has now resubmitted it. The Planning Inspectorate will accept or reject the application by the 26th May, and if accepted, anyone can then register as an Interested Party in order to submit their objections.

However, until then we strongly recommend that everybody sign up to receive updates from the Planning Inspectorate.

Sign up for updates (now).

— Register as an Interested Party (once the application is accepted).

— Send in a Relevant Representation (once you are accepted).

Full and clear instructions are on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

If the application is accepted we will put clear instructions on how to proceed on our website.

The Save Honey Hill Community Choir returns!

Choir flyer front  1

The Save Honey Hill choir are back again with a new song.

The choir formed last year in support of the Save Honey Hill campaign to stop the proposed relocation of the Cambridge Sewage works to Cambridge Greenbelt between the villages of Fen Ditton and Horningsea.

After the surprise preview of the new song “Honey Hill Honey” at the end of Liz’s show “Last Stand on Honey Hill” at the Junction last year the choir will be recording the song in Horningsea on the 30th April. Please contact us if you are interested in joining.

Here’s the new song and here’s the lyrics.

(spoken parts in bold)

ANGLIAN WATER…
CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL 
SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
ARE YOU READY ?

Seems like everyone got the plan
Save the planet. Do what you can … 
But looking at you, you're not with the programme  
You pollute   rivers, streams, seas
Now you want to heat the planet more degrees 
Move a sewage plant to Honey Hill 
With a planet-killer carbon bill
Everybody look to their left 
Everybody look to their right
Don't move this sewage plant… 
'cos the planet can't take it tonight 

It's about Honey Hill Honey
It's about Honey Hill Honey
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean
Ain't about the _uh.._cha-ching cha ching
Ain't about the _yeah_, ba-bling ba bling
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean.

Anglian Water's very wealthy 
And has got
A modern sewage plant in Cambridge
The site is worth a lot
They want to sell and as well get 
Two two seven mill
 (pause) Off the taxpayer
To move the plant to Honey Hill
Clean up your act. Fact: You make enough dosh. 
Know what this biz is? A lot of greenwash
So much at stake. Do the right thing
For our children's sake. Sing…

Everybody look to their left 
Everybody look to their right
Don't move this sewage plant… 
cos the planet can't take it tonight 
 
It's about Honey Hill Honey
It's about Honey Hill Honey
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean
Ain't about the _uh.._cha-ching cha ching
Ain't about the _yeah_, ba-bling ba bling
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean….(_(repeat) _

It's about Honey Hill Honey
It's about Honey Hill Honey
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean
Ain't about the _uh.._cha-ching cha ching
Ain't about the _yeah_, ba-bling ba bling
Wanna make the world green
Keep the rivers and skies clean.

..and the extra price of The Great Wall of North East Cambridge is the loss of Cambridge’s Green Belt…

Here’s a very relevant article by James Littlewood of Cambridge Past, Present Future (CPPF) on one of the massive buildings that are planned for North East Cambridge. The site for this building is just north of Cambridge North train station. But part of the planned development at North East Cambridge is of course land currently occupied by Cambridge’s waste water treatment plant (the core site).

Cambridge City Council and South Cambs District Council claim that North East Cambridge Action Plan can only really go ahead if the existing sewage works are demolished and relocated to Cambridge’s Green Belt. That is why the City and District Councils have postponed NECAAP consultation until after the Development Consent Order to relocate the sewage works has been decided. There are alternatives which would still help growth in that area.

Here’s CPPF’s response to the last consultation by Anglian Water on moving the plant

DCO Application on hold as Anglian Water withdraw their application.

You may have heard that Anglian Water has withdrawn its Development Consent Order (DCO) application for the relocation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant yesterday (22nd Feb 2023). They have informed the Planning Inspectors that they will resubmit.

There were a few minutes of elation in the village of Horningsea and Fen Ditton before we realised that this is not at all unusual in DCO Projects.

The withdrawal is probably in response to some queries from National Infrastructure and we fully expect Anglian Water to resubmit within a few weeks. So this will result in a delay before the Examination begins.

Anglian Water submitted a letter about the withdrawal.

This makes no difference to Save Honey Hill plans to make Relevant Representations as an Interested Party and to object to the project.

If you have any queries please contact us.

Estimated timetable for Anglian Water’s DCO application for the relocation of the Cambridge Sewage Works CWWTPR) to Greenbelt

Below are the likely dates of the DCO Application and Examinations programme. This timetable is Save Honey Hill’s estimation based on what Anglian Water and the Planning Inspectorate have said so far. However, the dates are entirely dependent on Anglian Water’s submission and on what the Planning Inspectorate does subsequently.

UPDATE 31st Jan 2023: Anglian Water have just put their application in. The hard work starts!

Update: 23rd Feb 2023: Anglian Water have withdrawn their application. We do not know why, but this is normal for DCO applications and we fully expect it to be resubmitted at some point. So the dates below are all incorrect.

Update: May 2, 2023 : Anglian Water have resubmitted their DCO application. The timetable starts afresh! The dates below will be updated when we learn more.

AW submits DCO application 31st January 2023
Application accepted by PINS and documents published early March 2023
Register as interested party and make relevant representation likely by end April 2023
Preliminary meeting and examination timetable published likely in June 2023
DCO timetable

Examination will include:

Written representation submission probably September 2023
Hearings (Open floor, issue specific and compulsory acquisition) probably October 2023 to December 2023
Site inspectionsprobably October 2023 to January 2024
Examination completedFebruary 2024
Examining authority report submitted July 2024
Examination timetable

The Secretary of State DEFRA then has six months in which to make a decision

Anglian Water is required to advertise that they have submitted the Application in local newspapers and the timetable is set be the Principal Inspector.

We will endeavour to keep this page updated if there are any significant changes to the timetable.

Please do register for our newsletter if you want to be updated.

Screenshot 2023 01 31 at 15 04 00

What you can do now

The main process will start when the Planning Inspectorate accepts the application (28 days after submission). However, you can sign up for updates now.

Sign up for updates (now).

– Register as an Interested Party (once the application is accepted).

– Send in a Relevant Representation (once you are accepted as an Interested Party).

Full and clear constructions are on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Save Honey Hill Calendar for 2023

A special Save Honey Hill Calendar 2023 has been created in order to raise funds towards the legal costs of the the Save Honey Hill campaign. It is illustrated by photographs of the open spaces around the Honey Hill area, the photographs having been taken by local residents.

The deer on the front cover looks directly and challenging at us and reminds us of the wildlife that will be displaced if the sewage works goes ahead.

SHH calendar 2023 Front and back
The back cover shows the selection of photographs which reflect the seasonal changes in the landscape in the general Honey Hill area.



The calendars will be A4 size and cost £10 each, which includes an envelope, proceeds going towards the Save Honey Hill fund. They would make an ideal Christmas present for friends and relatives.


Please contact us to purchase a calendar

The deer on the front cover looks directly and challenging at us and reminds us of the wildlife that will be displaced if the sewage works goes ahead.