Representation by David Jeffrey Seilly
- Date submitted
- 19 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object to the relocation of Cambridge Treatment Sewage works from Milton to the new location on arable farmland between Fen Ditton, Horningsea and Stow Cum Quy. There is no operational need to move the sewage works, it has plenty of capacity and it is being moved less than a mile without good reason. Moving the sewage works will have a high financial cost, currently estimated at £227 million, but could well go higher, at a time when there is a cost of living crisis and a fiscal crisis in Government. This cost will be paid for by central Government. The construction of the new plant will have a substantial carbon footprint associated with directly with the concrete used, also with the large number of lorry and car movements to transport the materials and people to the site to build it. There is also the carbon footprint of the construction of Waterbeach pipeline needed for this project. The Sewage works is being moved to a site which is a Principle Chalk Aquifer which according to DEFRA is at high risk of groundwater contamination. The new Sewage works could be a possible threat to this . The Principal Chalk Aquifer which makes this site unsuitable for sinking the structures necessary for this kind of infrastructure. My primary and main objection to moving the relocation of Cambridge Treatment Sewage works from Milton to the new location on arable farmland is that it is in the Green Belt. Green Belt land is meant to be protected. Building on Green Belt is contrary to national and local planning policy. It is there to protect the setting of the historic city of Cambridge and prevent urban sprawl. Far more importantly Green Belt is meant to function as a means of protecting farmland. Farmland needs protecting for the elementary reason that it is where we grow our food. The world is currently experiencing a food crisis. UK consumers are also facing rapid food price inflation. Both the UK government and international bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have identified climate change and biodiversity loss as major contributing factors to food insecurity in the UK and around the world. Government policies must improve food security. As I write this on July 19th 2023 extreme temperatures are occurring in the US,China and southern Europe. The extreme temperatures sweeping the globe this week are the new normal in a world warmed by climate change, the UN weather agency says. Temperatures went over 50C (122F) in parts of the US and China on Sunday. The World Meteorological Organization warned the heatwave in Europe could continue into August. It is obvious that climate change is going to have a severe impact on the worlds agriculture as the situation gets progressively worse. The growing world population which is now 8050 million and increasing is going to put even more pressure on Global food production. In the UK we are simply building on too much farmland. The Cambridgeshire farmland makes up part of the country’s grain belt and is too important for food security to be built on.