Representation by Lucy Frazer MP
- Date submitted
- 19 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I make this submission as the MP for South East Cambridgeshire, representing my constituents. The relocation of the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant (CWWTP) affects particularly the villages of Horningsea and Fen Ditton, close to the potential relocation site at Honey Hill. Throughout the consultation process to date, I have consistently expressed concerns that the site chosen for this relocation is in the Green Belt and that only Green Belt locations were considered during the consultation phase. This area of land was not identified for development in the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, precisely because it acts as a buffer between various planned developments including those at Waterbeach and on the Airport site. I have also raised concerns on behalf of my constituents about the need to preserve the rural character and setting of the site. The CWWTP would be a large industrial structure located in the heart of rural England, in the Green Belt, and would, by nature, have an impact on the rural character and setting of surrounding local communities. In this context I have advocated for mitigation including lower structures, better natural screening, and the use of mature trees from the outset. I have also raised concerns about traffic access to the site, both during construction and permanently, and advocated for a dedicated junction off the A14 to avoid traffic through the villages of Horningsea and Fen Ditton. This option was overwhelmingly supported by respondents to the Phase 2 consultation but is not being pursued in the DCO. I appreciate that the relocation of the CWWTP is intended to make the current site available for housing, as per the Local Plan, which is important. I accept that we need to build more houses on brownfield sites, however I wish to draw attention to the impact on the Green Belt.