To consider the report and make any recommendations
Minutes:
Members received a presentation by Joe Hillier – Programme Manager, Karen Staples – Major Infrastructure Programme stake holder, Matt Pluke – Head of Environment, Huge Maxfield – Land Engagement Leader, from Anglian Water regarding the proposed Reservoir in the District.
Members were advised that the key issues are as follows:
· Why the Fenland area needs a reservoir, which is due to potential climate change, with less rain forecast, local growth in the area, and current water sources getting more stressed.
· The project is classed as a national significant infrastructure project which is set out in the
· Planning Act and is signed off by the Secretary of State. The project is stakeholder led, and all comments are taken into consideration from the local communities to meet the area’s needs.
· How the Reservoir can support the area and work alongside other local organisations such as the Fenland Future work programme and the food and farming organisations.
· Anglian Water will be looking at investment and opportunities that will come back into the Fenland area as part of the growth programme.
· The proposed effect the reservoir has on the local community and the different matters that have arisen in the intervening period.
Members made comments asked questions and received responses as follows:
· Councillor Count asked about the natural water table, does this affect the surrounding environment and what impact the carbon emissions (CO2) has as the ground is unique in the Fens due to the high peat soil? Joe Hillier responded the local farmers help Anglian Water to understand the natural water table connectivity between the mid-levels as they work the land all the time, the reason this area was selected is due to the underlying materials recognising that there is some peat but there is a competent thick clay horizon underneath called the Roden beds. He stated that the reservoir will be hydraulically isolated so there will be no interaction between any surrounding water other than potential transfer roots, the studies that are happening now are looking at how this will all fit together and what the benefits will be in terms of reducing pumping at St Germans and the flood management benefits for the area. Councillor Count asked in terms of the isolated pumping is there going to be a base so that the natural clay is not being relied on? Joe Hillier responded that the reservoir will be relying on the natural clay as a base, there is a geological investigation being undertaken proving where those clay horizons are and it is showing that they are superficial overlying deposits such a peat and other materials, below that there are really thick lenses of clay which is a competent material, water pressures have been measured and the water horizons around the area. He stated that once the foundations are put together the clay will be formed as the base and a hydraulically isolated unit will be developed. Councillor Count stated he was concerned as all the local roads are suffering and being degraded as they are on clay and peat and with the enlarging and decreasing drought and farming, the clay gets moist and the clay dries out, so if Anglian Water are planning to put a few million tons of water on top of clay this will raise the water table everywhere else which will cause flooding. Jo Hillier responded the reservoir will be made of a very low permeable basin and the clay walls will be approximately 200 metres wide and the quality of the clay in this area is particularly good with extremely low permeability which should go towards the transmissivity that is being referred to. Councillor Count asked if there will be any paperwork or scientific evidence to back this up to relay people’s fears? Joe Hillier responded there will be evidence produced and if the storage is not permeable then this will not form a very good water storage containment, from an engineering perspective it will be proved that the clay will work, and it is all in line with expectations, proven methods and proven materials for building these type of elements and at the moment there is a confidence in what has been seen, but the proof needs to be confirmed along with the building and permit of the project which will be undertaken and evidence will be released through the DCO process as the project goes on so it is accessible within the public domain. Matt Pluke added to answer the second question concerning carbon emissions, the biggest hot spot regarding the carbon emissions is during the construction of the reservoir in terms of shifting the soil and the excavation, with the carbon once in supply being relatively small compared to during the construction but these sorts of carbons are relatively well understood and there are models around the challenges that were shared earlier around peat being scientifically immature in terms of understanding the carbon emissions associated with a reservoir in operation as opposed to the agricultural land where science is not great. He stated that experts in this field have been recruited but it has been recognised more information is needed to be able to quantify the impact in terms of the peat that is there and the carbon emissions by taking expert advice so there is more work to be undertaken as this is a significant area in terms of any emissions associated with peat.
· Councillor Booth stated it was spoken about the fact that the reservoir water will be pumped in and out and asked if there will be any exploration in new technology for pumping because there are some concerns around net zero and using old diesel pumps. He is aware that there is some development needed across the Country and a goal that needs to be reached within 10 years, and asked what will Anglian Waters approach be regarding sustainable pumping? Matt Pluke responded the preference is for renewable energy, there is research being carried out to look at alternative renewables which could be used instead of taking electricity off the grid, one option is seeing if solar can be integrated as part of the development of the reservoir and even wind power because with these two and battery storage it would address the intermittency issue which would happen with just one source or the another and this will also reduce carbon on energy. Councillor Booth asked if Anglian Water are confident that the pumps will be strong enough to deal with the volumes of water which is going to be needed because this is new technology particularly with the electric pumps? He added what would happen if the area got flooded and what is the resilience around this plan? Joe Hillier responded these are the types of questions that are being asked during the research that is being carried out at this early stage. Karen Staples added that at this early stage there are no plans to narrow down one specific option as technology is moving on and the plan is to keep this project at the forefront of any new development. Matt Pluke stated that there are other reservoir pumping stations which are pumping significant volumes of water, and the carbon resilience is working relatively well with renewable energy attached.
· Councillor Marks expressed the view that this is a great project to have in this area, however, it will not be built until 2036, so asked about the here and now with the flooding issues that are happening locally and what guarantees will Anglian Water give in regard to management of the area as the local villages have been let down time and time again when it comes to flooding in this area. Karen Staples responded as a reservoir team it would not be right to try to answer this question, but she stated she would take these questions back to pass onto the relevant team. She added she was aware that there is a challenge with Anglian Waters reputation and the company is working hard to correct that image. Councillor Marks responded that he had heard from Mr Tuffs and that particular matter he was dealing with has now been resolved. He also added he would like to draw the attention to the open drain policy and extra water being moved through new rivers, with his local village about to lose the local fire service, and with the village being 2 miles away from the construction site in question this is a major concern, so asked if Anglian Water will be working with the local emergency services? Joe Hillier stated these are areas that will be looked at as the project builds momentum and he wanted to reassure and build trust that these local worries will all be addressed, the water will be moved through existing rivers and at this time there are no plans to build new rivers in the area. Karen Staples added to address the concern around the emergency services this forms part of the DCO process as the emergency services are a statutory consultee so they will get notified automatically about the project and a report will be submitted. She continued there is also a lot of work going on with Middle Level Commission as they are a trusted partner in the local community and are working closely with Anglian Water on this project.
· Councillor Clark stated overall Fenland is very good at being sceptical in saying they do not want this or the water bills to go up to pay for it but what has not been mentioned in presentation is the plus side around recreation and nature and the benefits states personally I welcome it and it is councillor’s job to influence the people around them that this is a good thing to have, yes there will be problems and there will be people that do not want it because it is in their back garden but there are positives and he feels as a committee it should be advising the Cabinet that this is an asset to the area.
· Councillor Count agrees this could be an asset to the area, but he can also see this could be a blot on the landscape and he would like to understand how the Council go about making sure this is the right reservoir for the area which the committee can fully endorse. He shared a few concerns around opportunities as he can see the potential to work with local farmers, local groups, clubs, and fishing but where will the money for this come from? He asked if Anglian Water has the money to match fund the whole project and not just the construction and what is the plan for this to become a reality? Karen Staples responded there are lots of opportunities at this early stages, some of the key areas being looked at are around creating a socio economic strategy and a recreation strategy which will be explained at one of the consultations, there are some ideas already of what this could be, but there is an opportunity for the community to feed into what the final design could be through the two consultations phases, one being this year and one that is coming up next year where the designs will be presented. She continued at this stage Anglian Water are not going to be overly prescriptive because any initial comments will go through to an emerging design which will be looked at over a two-year period with a view to deliver something that the area would want to see. Karen Staples stated Anglian Water have been working with Fenland District Council and local authority officers to capture the feedback the wider community has, and to take on some feedback from their technical officer to make sure all the information is fed back into the emerging design. She made the point that there are things that the DCO will provide and pay for because that is required as part of the mitigation of having the reservoir at this site and there are some things that Anglian Water will not be paying for as it will be the customer water bill payers that will be paying as part of the DCO agreement but if there are any roads that need to be built as part of the reservoir design the economic growth within the area will be considered. Matt Pluke stated Anglian Water are obliged as part of a public water supply company to provide recreational facilities on a reservoir of this size which sits within the Water Industry Act. He continued there is also an obligation through the biodiversity net gain to deliver 10% biodiversity net gain which makes Anglian Water obliged to deliver a natural habitat which is great for people and nature, so this acts as a benefit. Matt Pluke stated that the other benefit is the use of the open channels that will be moving water through the environment which will deliver environmental opportunities and benefits for nature. Karen Sharps added as part of the DCO, Anglian Water do recognise that they do have to pay for things, but the company has gone a step further undertaking a study to look at all the opportunities that could happen and then look at what part the DCO would pay for then look at the other options and see what funding can be found through other organisations. Joe Hillier stated he wanted to mention it is good to talk about the negatives which can help with the mitigation but on a wider point this is an exciting project and he would like to engage the committee to think about the potential it will bring to the region, with at this stage the design still being planned and sharing what has been talked about today will all help towards ensuring this area makes the most of the opportunities this project can offer.
· Councillor Count stated he still did not feel he has been convinced enough to endorse this project because it seems there are a list of opportunities but nothing too prescriptive. He expressed the view that the obligation to fund 10% of certain things like biodiversity sounds convincing but as an example he would like to know if Anglian Water funds a cycle path around the reservoir will this funding also cover the cost of a cycle path to the local villages so members of the public enjoy a full journey by bike from door to door or will someone else have to fund this part of the project because if this area is just going to have a reservoir with a cycle path around it and no links to villages then he is prepared to say no to this development. Councillor Count added he would like to have a lot more detail before anything happens to make him feel fully supportive because it could have potential and does present great opportunities, but he feels he does not want to endorse this too early without more evidence of the final design and the benefits for the outlining villages.
· Councillor Mrs French stated there is a walking, cycling and mobility strategy ongoing and one of the areas she has been working on is a link from March to Chatteris.
· Simon Jackson stated he would like to reassure the committee that all these areas are being looked at and the Council are working closely with Anglian Water and other consultants working on the project with the key remit being to make sure those opportunities are exploited. He continued there are thing being discussed that are extremely exciting and will be made to happen but cannot be discussed today, this will bring a lot of challenges in terms of construction but also a lot of opportunities for local people and local companies when it is built and finished in 2036.
· Councillor Mrs French stated it was said that consultations have taken place, but it is her understanding that none of the local farmers have been consulted and they do not seem to understand what is going on and stressed that she would like to see the farmers consulted. She continued that the local roads are terrible and there are problems with peat soil etc, with it being her understanding that there will be a lot of construction vehicles using the roads around the site when the local roads are damaged and asked would Anglian Water be repairing them. Hugh Maxfield responded, as far as discussions with land owners, the challenge has been that there has been a lot of work going on in the back ground to progress the design and get to a point where there can be a briefing on how things will look, there has been some interim meetings with the land engagement forum through the land owners and their representatives but he does appreciate this has been a work in progress, with there being representatives going out to local land owners to talk with them in advance of the public consultation so they have a chance to feed in formally and informally beforehand through that process. Karen Staples added Ruth Oldfield and Joe Hillier are full time consultants with St Germans working to support landowners and part of that role is to go out and talk to local landowners on a daily basis and hold meetings with the NFU on a monthly basis to keep them up to date on the project. She stated that Anglian Water are very aware of the agricultural community and with the aid of forums etc are very open to any feedback and suggestions given which can improve any future communications. Karen Staples added moving on to traffic, transport and the roads, they are aware that there will be a huge impact on traffic and transport whilst this project takes place but as part of the environmental impact assessment there is a traffic and strategy plan in place to see which is the most sustainable way to get materials to and from the site and as part of the environment statement there is requirement to supply what impact there will be on roads and rail etc. and how Anglian Water will mitigate that.
· Councillor Booth asked about the other projects Anglian Water have, is the Grantham to Bexwell pipeline currently going on through the district, is there any interconnectivity planned at this moment in time to link up with the reservoir because he was aware that there have been talks about a national water pipeline? Matt Pluke responded the reservoirs are part of a strategic solution, the strategic pipeline that has been laid will be interconnected in some way so the water in this reservoir can be used locally but there will be an opportunity for good resilience reasons to distribute it further afield. He continued in terms of a national grid of water there are constraints with that as water is a lot heavier and therefore expensive to pump, with there being a project being developed by Cambridge Water and Anglian Water to integrate the two supplies, so there is a level of integration where it is wise to do so. Councillor Booth asked does that mean there are no plans for a national water grid? Matt Pluke replied these reservoirs are being developed by the regulators as strategic resource options and so the water companies do work together to look at where strategic options are available so if they are the best solution they will be developed but at the moment the Lincolnshire reservoir is for Anglian Water and the Fens reservoir will be for Cambridge and Anglian water beyond that it would not make good sense.
· Councillor Booth stated the other thing that has not been mentioned is the Environment Agency, with extraction licences and the whole plethora of legislation he assumes is why this project is going to take so long to develop. Matt Pluke responded that Anglian Water have got a secure extraction licence and work closely with the Environment Agency to made sure the water is there and it can be taken without derogating rights to anybody else and there is a extraction licence with the Environment Agency and Anglian Water are progressing through that. Joe Hillier added there is a lot of legislation but that should build confidence that this project is safe and being fair to those around.
· Councillor Marks stated he is in support of this project but there is still a situation where there are a number of farmers and a number of businesses that are working with the unknown from Anglian Water because they are being told about the plans but are asking themselves should they farm what they are farming now or should they be looking at other land to use, plus the other problem that presents itself is the cost of land as land prices are going up around the area where this proposed reservoir will be as land owners know farmers will be looking to purchase other land within this area. He asked when will there be a date announced as to whether this is going ahead and there is still a village in turmoil because there is no infrastructure or money being spent so where are the shareholders going to come up with a billion pounds for this project but not looking after the infrastructure that is already present? Hugh Maxfield stated he fully accepts the current state at this point but until the project progresses there is no certainty which land will be used with there being a design freeze proposed for December 2024 and at that point the project managers will be in a position to go out and negotiate agreements with landowners to acquire the land and the rights that are needed from that point, those will be optional agreements that would provide some upfront funding and then the actual acquisition would take place once the consent has been granted for the reservoir He added that there are lots of discussions going on to understand as much as possible with those farmers particularly around their business and the impact this will have so Anglian Water can do as much as they can to assist those situations. Karen Staples stated to answer the question about the date when the next design freeze happens after phase two consultation, negotiations will start to be put in place before the project goes to the DCO in 2026. Joe Hillier added in terms of funding the reservoir this is not something Anglian Water is going to do as this is such a massive project which is why there has been encouragement to get external support to provide the funding needed. He stated that this is a common approach in the UK for a large majority of infrastructure schemes, with Anglian Water’s part to ensure that everything is in place with the community engagement and the right solution in terms of how this project will work and that the needs are met for the DCO so what is planned to be delivered will be delivered. Councillor Marks stated these are loans from investors that will need to be paid back with interest which means the infrastructure around it falls more because there is a reservoir that needs paying for in the Fenland area. Joe Hillier responded the way this model should work means it is equitable for all generations so it will not mean this generation pays for everything and the next generation benefiting completely it is about spreading the load across the board. He continued the infrastructure construction is a huge amount of cost and ensuring that there is a set rate with minimal of additions to people’s water bills to pay for this for many years but that is built into the contract with that operator.
Updates from Anglian Water and requested that they be invited to future meetings to provide.
(Councillor Taylor declared he had an interest in the item due to comments he had made and left the meeting for the duration of the item. Councillor Mrs French took the Chair.)