Plan for 3km sport lakes north of Cambridge has been withdrawn

Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust had been proposing an international standard water sports complex between Milton and Waterbeach.

Plans for a water sports complex between Milton and Waterbeach have been withdrawn by the applicant, Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust.

It’s due the Environmental Impact Assessment not being sufficiently up to date.

The complex proposed sports facilities and competition venues for rowing, triathlon, BMW, cycling, canoeing, long-distance swimming, equestrian and fishing.

It was given outline planning permission in 2013.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Dr. Tumi Hawkins, said: “We respect the applicant’s decision to withdraw their planning application for this complex proposal.

“It was vital that we asked for an up to date Environmental Impact Assessment as it would cover the impacts this development would be likely to have locally, such as on local roads, wintering birds and drainage.

“We sought independent, specialist legal advice and were told that we simply could not have approved this application without this updated information. Our planning teams will of course be ready to work with the Trust should they wish to submit a new application in future.”

Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust submitted more detailed proposals for various aspects of the facility earlier this year, known as a reserved matters application. These more detailed proposals included plans for a sports centre, boathouse, finish line towers, warden accommodation, bus shelters and cycle shelters, amenity blocks, landscaping and drainage arrangements.

This latest application was the subject of a six-week public consultation that ended on 30 March 2018.

One of the reserved matters application’s key documents, an Environmental Impact Assessment, was written in 2005.

To progress and determine the application, South Cambridgeshire District Council advised the applicant that the Environmental Impact Assessment, containing information about ecology, flood risk and drainage, transport and minerals and waste, would need updating. The Council’s was told this was the case by independent legal experts.

The applicant has confirmed that it does not wish to update this document and as a result has formally withdrawn the application.