Fens Reservoir Consultation Sees Locals Want No App-Only Parking

The Fens reservoir consultation drew 438 responses, with locals asking that car park payment at the future site not be app-only. The proposed reservoir, planned by Anglian Water in partnership with Cambridge Water, would supply 250,000 homes by 2036. Anglian Water called the feedback “really valuable” and said it will be “using it to shape our proposals.”

The project has been designated a project of national significance and would store water piped in from the region’s rivers when levels are high, holding it for drier months. Treated water would be sent to Bluntisham and Madingley in Cambridgeshire and to Bexwell near Downham Market in Norfolk.

The 438 Responses in Detail

Of the 438 responses to the reservoir consultation, the main concern was the impact of traffic on surrounding roads and the safety of junctions during and after construction. The public’s wish-list for the site itself puts practical amenities at the top of the list. Concerns were also raised about how the reservoir would sit in a flat fenland, disruption during the construction phase, and the impact on the local community and wildlife.

The appetite to visit the site is strong, with Anglian Water’s summary of the December consultation showing most respondents planning to come at least once a year and many planning to attend monthly. The feedback covers the reservoir’s water function and the visitor experience the project is expected to add to the flat fenland. Further studies are now taking place until December to establish ground conditions and ecology in areas earmarked for pipe infrastructure and the main reservoir. Anglian Water said the work involves drilling boreholes and excavation pits and is not a sign of construction beginning on the project.

The project is being led by Anglian Water and Cambridge Water, with treated water expected to reach Bluntisham and Madingley in Cambridgeshire and Bexwell near Downham Market in Norfolk, reducing reliance on “environmentally sensitive” rivers and underground aquifers. The reservoir would be fed by the region’s rivers when levels are high and store the water for drier months. Per the Anglian Water project page for the reservoir, the design includes new recreational and educational facilities and wildlife wetlands.

• 438 consultation responses
• 90% would visit at least annually
• Almost half would visit monthly
• 250,000 homes to be supplied
• 2036 operational target

Why Parking Apps Became a Flashpoint

“People requested that car park payment was not app-only.” That single line in the consultation summary is the tech ask that cuts deepest against the grain of how UK public services have been digitising. Anglian Water has not yet said how parking at the future reservoir will work, but the public has already drawn a line. The request sits inside a consultation that also asked for low-cost parking and a site accessible to people without cars.

Fenland District Council raised a parallel concern in a separate scoping report, warning that paid-for car parking could discourage poorer people from visiting the reservoir, and noting “no mention” of how to get to the site without a car given its relatively isolated location. The council’s intervention ties the parking question to affordability, with the access question running alongside it. Taken together, the two asks frame the reservoir as a public space first and a water utility second.

Traffic and Junction Safety Lead the Concerns

Roads were the loudest single concern in the 438 responses, with the impact of traffic on surrounding roads and the safety of junctions during and after construction sitting at the top of the list.

Construction disruption was raised as a separate worry, with residents flagging the build phase itself, separate from the finished reservoir. Further studies are running until December to establish ground conditions and ecology in areas earmarked for pipe infrastructure and the main reservoir, involving drilling boreholes and excavation pits. Anglian Water said this is not a sign of construction beginning on the project.

The Middle Level Commissioners, the body that manages water levels across the Fens, said the project’s dependence on its infrastructure and operations could be a “significant risk,” warning it was “already stretched far too thinly” and under-resourced. That puts a second constraint on the timeline: the reservoir needs both planning consent and a workable deal with the existing water managers.

The reservoir is planned for land between Chatteris and March in the Cambridgeshire Fens, a flat, drained area where most visitors will arrive by car. That makes the junction safety question inseparable from the parking question. Per the Planning Inspectorate’s project record, the site sits two kilometres north of Chatteris and south-west of Doddington and Wimblington.

Where the Reservoir Meets the Flat Fenland

The consultation flagged concerns about how a reservoir of this scale would sit in a flat fenland, alongside worries about community and wildlife impact. Anglian Water’s design includes new recreational and educational facilities and wildlife wetlands, framed as a place where “people, nature and water come together.” The project is the first major reservoir in the region for a generation.

The wish-list extends beyond the reservoir’s water function. Locals asked for toilets, cafes, and wildlife viewing spots on site, and for the use of local businesses as suppliers. Some called for a railway line to be extended to Chatteris to bring additional benefits. The railway ask reframes the consultation as one about the wider visitor experience, with the water infrastructure as the starting point.

Anglian Water has not committed to any of these in its published plans. The phase three consultation documents are available in the project’s Fens Reservoir document library.

• Low-cost parking that is not app-only
• Toilets and cafes on site
• Wildlife viewing spots
• Use of local businesses as suppliers
• A railway line extended to Chatteris

This is a significant investment in England’s water infrastructure and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lasting benefits for people, place and the environment.

Sian Thomas, Director of Strategic Asset Management at Anglian Water, in the company’s announcement of the planning route confirmation.

From Scoping Report to 2036 Supply

The reservoir has cleared its first major planning hurdle. In May 2025, Environment Secretary Steve Reed directed that the project is one for which an application for development consent is required, confirming its nationally significant status, per Anglian Water’s confirmation of the planning route. The planning route goes through a Development Consent Order, with consent granted by the relevant Secretary of State rather than the local authority.

The reservoir would have an approximate capacity of 55 million cubic metres, per the Planning Inspectorate. Treated water would be piped to Bluntisham and Madingley in Cambridgeshire and Bexwell near Downham Market in Norfolk, reducing reliance on “environmentally sensitive” rivers and underground aquifers.

A planning application is due in 2027. Water regulators RAPID, made up of Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, have set a March 2027 deadline for the formal submission. The application is expected to go to the Planning Inspectorate, which has 28 days to decide whether to accept it for examination.

If approved, the reservoir aims to be operational by 2036, supplying over 87 million litres of drinking water a day. The key dates so far:

1. 12 October 2022: Phase one consultation opens
2. 30 May 2024: Phase two consultation opens
3. 15 October 2025: Phase three consultation opens
4. 10 December 2025: Phase three consultation closes
5. March 2027: DCO application deadline
6. 2036: Reservoir operational target

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Fens reservoir?

The Fens reservoir is a proposed new reservoir in the Cambridgeshire Fens, planned by Anglian Water in partnership with Cambridge Water. It would hold up to 55 million cubic metres of water and supply 250,000 homes.

Why did the public ask for car parks to avoid app-only payment?

Locals requested in the consultation that car park payment at the future reservoir not be app-only. Fenland District Council separately warned that paid-for parking could discourage poorer visitors.

How big is the Fens reservoir?

The reservoir would cover about five square kilometres and hold up to 55 million cubic metres of water, supplying over 87 million litres of drinking water a day.

When will the Fens reservoir planning application be submitted?

A planning application is due in 2027, with water regulators RAPID setting a March 2027 deadline for the formal submission.

What other features did the consultation ask for?

Beyond parking, the public asked for toilets, cafes, wildlife viewing spots, use of local businesses as suppliers, and a railway line extended to Chatteris.