When asked to pen a few lines about Honey Hill and what it meant to me I could not think of what to write other than it is beautiful and it would be a crime to desecrate it with the proposed, unneeded and unwanted sewage works… but everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, apart from the faceless ones determined to railroad it through.
On consideration, however I realise that Honey Hill has been known to me for many years and, in the course of horse riding, walking, jogging and cycling, plays a significant part in my life and I have many fond memories of it.
I moved to Fen Ditton in 1986 and first set eyes on Honey Hill on Boxing Day of that year when I was taken there by a well-known local character called “Barry the Horse”, (sadly no longer with us).
We stood near the Pink House and watched the local hunt gallop past in full cry and, whatever your views on hunting, seeing horses and hounds at full gallop in close proximity is a sight that cannot fail to stir the blood.
Since that day I have been a regular visitor to the area, even at one time, keeping a horse in the now disused, but rather pretty, hedged meadow on the left as you approach the Pink House from Fen Ditton.
The Pink House, I am assuming, was a crossing keeper’s cottage when the Honey Hill to Snouts Corner track was a vehicular road. There are the overgrown remains of another such crossing keepers cottage at the railway’s junction with another former road further towards Lode.
Most of my memories of Honey Hill area are equine related and I recall riding towards Snouts Corner when we saw in the distance a Harrier Jump jet rise into the sky in a vertical take-off, (which I knew they could do), and then, spectacularly, fly backwards (which I didn’t).
For several years I kept two horses at some old farm stables, (now Francis Court), in High Ditch Road, Fen Ditton and our daily hack out would be towards Honey Hill either turning right onto the railway track at the Pink House or carrying on towards Horningsea.
One frequently bumps into other horse riders or walkers also enjoying the peaceful haven Honey Hill offers together with frequent sightings of wildlife including foxes and deer all within sight of Cambridge’s urban sprawl.
Another well known character frequently encountered around Honey Hill until fairly recently was “cool hand luke”, a kindly eccentric who rode a stocky dun horse and dressed as an american civil war confederate soldier complete with stetson, six gun and sabre. His horse could be frequently be seen tethered outside various pubs in Fen Ditton, Horningsea and Quy!
The proposed sewage works is not needed -it is merely being relocated to facilitate building tract housing at Milton. The proposed desecration of this area, in the green belt and in defiance of all the mores of planning, conservation, ecology and traffic, is a crime, plain and simple.
It will deprive not only local people of a rural haven in a rapidly urbanising area but adversely impact the lives of the many people who will come to live in the area in the many years to come. Years which we may not live to see.
Once Honey Hill is gone, it will be gone forever.
Nick Dakin
CWWTPR Stage 2 Consultation
Anglian Water has chosen Honey Hill to build its new sewage works, including at least two digester towers of 26m and taking 22 hectares of prime green belt land*, the size of 30 football pitches1 ! The stage 2 consultation begins on the 23rd of June until the 18th August. This will be our best chance to give official feedback to Anglian Water.
We need to be clear that the Phase 2 Consultation is primarily about mitigation. The Save Honey Hill Campaign will continue to fight the relocation but for now this consultation is about having your say regarding issues such as positioning, traffic, lighting (at night), noise pollution, odour, design, screening, impact on wildlife and environment and so much more.
Watch for a leaflet from Anglian Water through your door. They will likely be addressed to ’The Occupier’ so don’t mistake them as unsolicited marketing and be tempted to put them straight in the recycling bin. We will do our best to publicise any forthcoming public meetings in a timely manner on social media and via email.
..and if you want to be kept updated on the campaign, then subscribe to our Friends of Save Honey Hill newsletter.
- *CWWTPR Stage 4 Main Report 2021 https://cwwtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CWWTPR-Stage-4-Final-Site-Selection-Main-Report.pdf [↩]
Five reasons why Honey Hill should be preserved…
Here are five reasons why Honey Hill should not be desecrated with concrete and 26m high digester towers1.
These wonderful photos taken by two Horningsea Residents show the deer that roam and live here. Honey Hill is very accessible and thus a valuable green open space for the residents of Horningsea, Fen Ditton, Quy, Teversham and the city of Cambridge. However, people can drive further. Where will these lovely animals live when the green space is surrounded by fences and covered in concrete?
- Anglian Water’s Stage 3 Report, section 2.3.83 [↩]
Why using Low Fen Drove for CWWTPR construction traffic access will not work….
On the morning of the 4th May, just after the Bank Holiday, two fairly minor incidents caused major gridlock on Horningsea Road, just near Low Fen Drove where Anglian Water are suggesting their construction traffic of 140 HGV movements a day will access/exit Honey Hill –1
There was a water leak in Fen Ditton with the resulting roadworks, and then a collision between two vehicles. This caused traffic to be backed up to Horningsea. Journey times of 40 minutes from Horningsea to Fen Ditton were being reported. Parents on the school run were abandoning cars in order to walk to school.
Traffic was queueing on the A14 and the length of the slip road to exit the A14. This is the route that Anglian Water say their construction traffic will be using to access Honey Hill from the A14.
It shows just how unsuitable it is to use Low Fen Drove for construction traffic! Our local roads are already full and minor issues cause serious blocks. Any additional traffic will have a serious impact on the villages in our area.
- Preliminary Transport Assessment, CWWTPR, Appdx K, Ch.2, ‘Construction Impacts’ p17, Table 2.1: Daily HGV movements during each construction stage [↩]
Gayton farm – a farm and campsite on untouched prime agricultural land.
Gayton farm is a working farm and campsite in the village of Horningsea, on the edge of Cambridge with far reaching views over acres of open countryside. The proposed sewage works site on Honey Hill is adjacent to their farming land, and the initial consultation documents from Anglian Water shows that the trenched sewage pipeline that will connect with Waterbeach New town goes alongside the campsite.
Carolyn and I have farmed at Gayton Farm for 8 years. In this time we have diversified our small farm with a campsite and a couple of glamping units. People who stay with us enjoy the fact they are so close to the centre of Cambridge but they are in such a rural peaceful setting. With the potential construction of the sewage works this will dramatically change. The size of structure planned will become completely dominating in this rural area in untouched prime farmland. This massively industrial structure, alien to the surrounding landscape will be clearly visible from our campsite. This is bound to affect our reviews and booking numbers. This even without the potential smell.
From a farming perspective, the link pipe to Waterbeach will cause massive disruption. The work will dissect our farm in half, not only causing difficulties in working the land but also accessing it. It will also cause huge disturbance to the wildlife that live on the farm.
Cows grazing where the pipeline from the sewage works will goFarmland is a valuable resource and it is disgusting that so much prime farmland is to be lost forever, especially in an area supposedly protected by being in the greenbelt.
Robin and Carolyn Truss
Gayton Farm
Fundraising update
Since we distributed the fundraising leaflet amongst villagers and local businesses around Fen Ditton, Horningsea, Quy and Teversham we have been heartened by the response from all four villages.
Many people and businesses across the area have donated. From being initially daunted by the prospect of going up against a network of large commercial interests, those donations and letters of support have really given us energy and enthusiasm to continue. It so helps to know that we have wide support throughout the villages. Thank you! Community works!
We still have a long, long way to go though. Our JustGiving page is now live but you can still contact us and offer support.
It’s not just donations we need. We really need expertise from residents with experience in planning and protecting the Greenbelt.
‘Absolute twaddle!’ Horningsea villagers reject claim new sewage works will be a popular day out
CWWTPR Phase One Consultation – CPRE Cambridge and Peterborough’s response
Moving sewage plant could have ‘devastating impact’ on Cambs green belt
Moving sewage plant could have ‘devastating impact’ on Cambs green belt – –
Cambridge News