New Cambridge sewage works set to look like 'giant pastry cutter', say campaigners

Campaigners against the relocation of Cambridge’s sewage works to green belt land on the edge of a village have compared the design of the new plant to “a giant inverted pastry cutter”.

The Save Honey Hill Campaign group sent their formal objections to a consultation by Anglian Water about the proposals, which they say will cause quality of life to be “negatively impacted by odour, noise and pollution from traffic, the loss of a tranquil area and light pollution from construction and operation”.

This move to Honey Hill between Horningsea and Fen Ditton will cause an estimated 140 HGV sludge lorry movements entering and exiting the site daily.

And they save particular ire for a proposal to build a seven metre high earthworks ring around the new plant, adding: “to prominently top it, for its entire circumference, with an equally high metallic fence creates an industrial structure on a massive scale which looks alien and negates the value of the bund (earthworks) put to maintain the openness of the green belt. It has the characteristics of a giant inverted pastry cutter”.

Meanwhile, Friends of the Earth warn that the plan to relocate the exisitng sewage works from Milton in Cambridge to the Honey Hill site following the decision to reclaim the existing sewage works near Milton for the North East Cambridge housing project will cause “irreversible damage” to the green belt.

Friends of the Earth said in their statement: “Anglian Water has stated that there is absolutely no operational need for the sewage works site to move... The move to green belt land would not only contravene current government policy but would compromise the much-needed ‘green lungs’ around Cambridge and the Wicken Fen Vision.”

Anglian Water said: “Our phase 2 consultation ended on August 18 and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has provided their feedback. We will be fully reviewing and considering all responses to feed into the ongoing development of the proposals for the new facility.

“More detailed information regarding the project and all of the material we have consulted on is still available on our website – cwwtpr.com – including information on why we are proposing to relocate the existing facility and also the assessment of the hydrological impact at the proposed new site.”