East Cambridgeshire District Council Water Cycle Study Detailed ...

1 Introduction
1.1 Study Need and Drivers
Stage 2 Water Cycle Study: Final Report
Sept 2011
12
Cambridgeshire Horizons
East Cambridgeshire – Detailed WCS
The district of East Cambridgeshire is expected to experience a significant increase in housing
and employment provision over the period to 2031. This growth represents a challenge to the
district in ensuring that both the water environment and water services infrastructure (WSI) has
the capacity to sustain this level of growth and development proposed.
A Water Cycle Study (WCS) has therefore been undertaken to determine what impact this
growth might have on the water environment and existing WSI. The objective of the WCS is to
identify any constraints on housing and employment growth planned for the East
Cambridgeshire district area up to 2031 that may be imposed by the water cycle and how these
can be resolved i.e. by ensuring that appropriate WSI is provided to support the proposed
development. Furthermore, it should provide a strategic approach to the management and use
of water which ensures that the sustainability of the water environment in the district is not
compromised.
1.2 WCS Reporting
The East Cambridgeshire Water Cycle Study (WCS) has thus far been reported in 3 stages. A
joint Scoping Study was produced jointly with Fenland District Council, and reported in 2009 1 .
Proceeding this, a Stage 1 Outline WCS was undertaken, also as a joint study with Fenland
District Council and was completed in May 2011 2 .
The Stage 1 report assessed the baseline conditions of various elements of the water cycle in
East Cambridgeshire and Fenland, including the natural water environment and the capacity of
the WSI that would be used to support growth. In addition, the Stage 1 study undertook a high
level assessment of the likely growth town locations and the proposed levels of growth within
the districts, and determined where growth would be achievable within the existing capacity of
both the infrastructure and the water environment at a strategic level.
The conclusions from the Stage 1 study identified that there were key strategic issues and
several site specific issues that required further detailed assessment to inform the production of
the East Cambridgeshire Local Development Framework (LDF). Information on the location of
potential options for new development sites was available following completion of the Stage 1
Outline Study, and hence it was agreed that the full Stage 2 Detailed WCS would be
undertaken for East Cambridgeshire.
At the time of completion of the Stage 1 Outline study, Fenland District Council were at a less
advanced stage in the production of their LDF and hence had less certainty with respect to
locations of potential growth sites. It was agreed that the Detailed study for Fenland should be
undertaken in two Stages (2a and 2b). The requirement to undertake the Detailed Stage 2
WCS for Fenland in two distinct stages has necessitated the requirement for the Stage 2 WCS
for East Cambridgeshire to be reported separately. A separate Stage 2a WCS has been
undertaken for Fenland District Council 3 .
1
Entec (2009), Cambridgeshire Horizons, East Cambridgeshire and Fenland District Councils: Water Cycle Study and Strategic Flood
Risk Assessment Scoping Report
2
Scott Wilson (2011) – East Cambridgeshire & Fenland Water Cycle Study: Outline Study – Main Planning Report
3 URS/Scott Wilson (2011): Fenland District Council Water Cycle Study - Detailed Study: Stage 2a Report