100% Cotton takes Honey Hill to the Edinburgh Fringe

Save Honey Hill’s resident comedy songstress/genius, Liz Cotton, is currently wowing audiences (again!) at The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh during its arguably most distinguished month of August. If you happen to be up that way, her show Last Stand on Honey Hill offers a very personal, hilarious take on what is otherwise, of course, a very serious situation for all of us. And if you like cats, this is definitely for you!

https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:4584/

DCO: Save Honey Hill’s Representation to the Planning Inspectorate

Double rainbow over a freshly ploughed field surrounded by green hedges.

The Save Honey Hill Group registered as an Interested Party (IP) sent our Representation to the Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday 18th July.

All 309 Representations have now been published. Go have a read of the many different ones from your neighbours and beyond. It is heartening to see such objective, personal and varied comments.

The Planning Inspectorate will inform all IPs of the timetable for the next stage – the Examination, which is likely to start in September.  At that stage anyone who has registered as an IP will be invited to make further comments in a Written Representation. We expect our barristers to give more input into that Representation.

During the Examination stage, which usually lasts six months, the Planning Inspectors will send questions to Anglian Water and to stakeholders for further information raised by the Representations. They will also hold issue-specific hearings.  We will keep you updated when we have more detail. There is more information on the NI website National Infrastructure Planning; all Representations will be published there shortly.

We are very grateful for your support and donations. We have budgeted for further advice but more income would give us confidence to use this even more effectively. So please spread the word to your friends and garner their support. More information on how to donate can be found on our website SHH – donate now.

Cambridge City Council’s conflict of interest statement

Cambridge City Council issued a statement on its website yesterday.

The Save Honey Hill team is glad to hear that any profit from land sale would go into affordable housing – hopefully as part of the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan (NECAAP) where it could benefit local people1.

You can read more about the planned development at the core site (Anglian Water’s current site at Cowley Road) on the Hartree website.


  1. https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/emerging-plans-and-guidance/north-east-cambridge-area-action-plan/ []

DCO Application: the time to object is NOW!

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) is now accepting registrations (from Weds 14th June) from anybody to comment (objection/Relevant Representation) on Anglian Water’s application to relocate the sewage works to Green Belt.

The time window when you are able to register as an Interested Party and make a Relevant Representation (objection) is short.

Wednesday, 14 June to Wednesday, 19th July 2023.

After the 23:59 on the 19th July you will no longer be able to register.

There will be no further opportunity to do so either. This is your LAST CHANCE TO MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT.

However, if you register and submit a Relevant Representation before the 19th July, then you will be able to submit further comments at a later stage.

We have put together suggestions on what you can object to, and what you cannot comment on.

We will also be submitting relevant representations as a group and also as individuals. As we become more familiar with the procedure we will update this page with clear and concise instructions on what you need to do.

Sewage Works relocation application: PINS open for registration and objections from 14th June to 19th July 2023

A double rainbow over a green field with a dark cloudy sky

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) have updated the DCO application page to say that you will be able to register to become an Interested Party and object between Wednesday 14 June and Wednesday 19th July 2023.

You need to register to be able to object.

We are currently reviewing the many documents that form part of Anglian Water’s DCO application and will keep updating our page on “How to Object” as we understand more.

June 3rd Town and U+I – wolves in sheep’s clothing at Strawberry Fair

It would appear that the core site at NECAAP has undergone a rebranding.  Town and U+I had a stall at Strawberry Fair today where they were proudly showcasing the plans for ‘Hartree’.

Here are some of the visuals on display:

For me what really stuck in the gullet was the one titled ‘A Day at Hartree’ which looks at possible future resident profiles.  It talks about key workers alongside couples who have moved from London alongside ‘global citizens’ from other countries.  I wonder if key workers really will be able to afford these apartments, and if it is attracting couples from London and further afield, how can the development be addressing the housing shortage that locals are experiencing.

I spoke to one of the people manning the stall who said that the sewage works relocation and Hartree are two completely separate projects while in the same breath saying that without the sewage works moving the development wouldn’t be able to go ahead.  He refused to accept they are linked and we had to agree to disagree in the end but it was all relatively good humoured debate. 

I also pointed out that they were stretching it to describe the development as good for the planet, “an exemplar for development fit for the challenges for the 21st Century, enabling sustainable lifestyles, enhancing nature and accelerating the transition to a net zero carbon world.”  I pointed out that they were being, at best, disingenuous and that in no way can this development be described as exemplary development fit for the blah! blah! if it depends on moving a fully functioning sewage works (one that was ‘future-proofed’ a few years back to the tune of over £20m) to Green Belt, arable farmland and pouring millions of tonnes of concrete onto a principal chalk aquifer into the bargain.

Anyways, if you have the opportunity to put anyone straight on the development and what the consequences are, I hope some of this helps with your argument.

Catherine Morris