Advice to Nigel Seamarks
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- From
- Nigel Seamarks
- Date advice given
- 22 October 2020
- Enquiry type
Dear National Infrastructure Applications; I understand you recently planned to have a meeting with Anglian Water about moving the Cambridge Waste Treatment plant. Please can I have an update on the progress of talks. I do object to Anglian Water in using the National Infrastructure programme as a way of obtaining permission and instead AW should use the Cambridgeshire County Council Planning Systems. The Localism Act, local people should have a major role in local projects, this is not a NPI application. I would like your group to consider the reason for my objection of using the National Infrastructure Planning Tool :- 1. During the consultation process Anglian Water would not explain how they would achieve 500,000 people usage of the new Waste Treatment Centre ; a key requirement . 2. The Project is not of National Importance as the current site delivers the needs of Cambridgeshire. There is no Operational need to move. 3. The current site serves Cambridgeshire’s needs and does not have a capacity issue. The current site is large enough to cope with expansion needs if ever required. 4. Anglian Water are undertaking the project for profit by selling the current site for housing. Anglian Water will then need to find a new location. The current location has served the community well for decades probably a century. Moving fo moving sakes is not a NPI valid reason. 5. The Localism Act is in place for this type of application and PINS should not allow this National Infrastructure Planning abuse and recommend Anglian Water applies for permission via Cambridgeshire County Council. 6. Anglian Water are proposing to use the highly valued Cambridge Greenbelt . Once the Cambridge Green Belt is eroded developers will want the rest of the Green Belt. We must protect the last remaining Green corridors. The use of Green Belt would be best considered locally using local planning tools and Localism Act 7. Two of the sites will impact the Mere Way an established pedestrian and cycleway. The landowners and farmers have developed key biodiversity sites along the stretch. This would be better reviewed using the local planning tools and Localism Act 8. The U&C Waterbeach housing development has been given permission; one of the conditions is to protect and enhance the Mere Way , a Roman Road. This would be better reviewed using the local planning tools and Localism Act 9. One of the proposed sites impact the 100 Year vision of the National Trust to reintroduce a Fen from Wicken Fen to Cambridge. This would be better reviewed using the local planning tools and Localism Act 10. A proportion of the current location could be sold as over 50% of the current site is not in operation. Anglian Water could sell some land and the full redevelopment area could still deliver upto 5,000 homes for Cambridge. I appreciate this number of homes is less than if Anglian Water was allowed to use Green Belt land for the move. I strongly believe Anglian Water are using the wrong planning tool; they have failed to communicate with local people regarding the 500,000 people threshold. I don’t believe the NPI was put in place just to move infrastructure for profit. I am not against the redevelopment plans but due to the local impacts, The Localism Act, local planning tools and not meeting the 500,000 threshold the NPI should reject the project and refer Anglian Water back to Cambridgeshire County Council planning.
Advice given
Dear Mr Seamarks, Application by Anglian Water Services Limited for an Order Granting Development Consent for the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant Relocation I am writing regarding your correspondence sent to the Planning Inspectorate dated 27 September 2020 in relation to the above proposals, apologies for the delay in response. The proposed application is at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 process. The Applicant approached the Planning Inspectorate to discuss the proposed application, you can find a record of the initial meeting here: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/cambridge-waste-water-treatment-plant-relocation/?ipcsection=advice. There has been one further meeting which took place in July, the note of this meeting will shortly be published in the same place. The Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it is accepted for Examination. Further information about the process can be found in the link below to the National Infrastructure Planning website: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/application-process/the-process/ As the application has not yet been formally submitted to the Inspectorate your first point of contact should be the Applicant and we would encourage you to contact them directly by email: info@cwwtpr.com. It is important that the developer is made aware of your comments at the Pre-application stage of the process to enable them to consider these points before finalising their proposals and submitting the application to the Inspectorate. The Planning Inspectorate has published a series of Advice Notes about the Planning Act 2008 process. ‘Advice Note Eight: Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others’ can be found here:https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/. I hope the above information is helpful.