A planning inquiry to decide whether Anglian Water can move Cambridge’s sewage works onto green belt land has concluded.
The inspectors will now make their recommendations to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs no later than 17 July.
Campaigners Save Honey Hill thanked the inspectors for their “forensic” questioning of Anglian Water.
The water company applied to move the waste water treatment works off Cowley Road so that the site could be redeveloped for housing and offices. A Homes England grant will cover the costs.
Anglian Water proposes building the new sewage works on Honey Hill, which lies between the villages of Horningsea and Fen Ditton.
However, campaigners point to the fact that Anglian Water acknowledges there is no operational need for the move and the existing works have plenty of capacity.
Margaret Starkie, a spokesperson for Save Honey Hill, said: “We were very happy with the way the examination was conducted. The planning inspectors were extremely courteous.
“They listened to us, gave us plenty of time at hearings and they were quite forensic in the questioning of Anglian Water and the various councils.
“So we feel that we have had a good opportunity to make our case and we strongly object to this being built on green belt when there is no exceptional need for it.”
She now believes the decision could be delayed by a General Election, as decisions and political statements are postponed in the pre-election period.
Margaret said: “The secretary of state will have a further three months in which to make a decision, which will take us to 17 October. But if there is a General Election, that decision will be pushed back.”
Meanwhile, Horningsea residents Jennie Pratt and Mary Fishpool said in their submission to the inquiry: “The fact remains that a sewage works on raised open ground in a fen landscape on top of an aquifer cannot be buried and is going to be extremely visible for miles around. Is this acceptable? In green belt, we would say the answer is a resounding ‘No!’
“This view will spoil a special fen landscape and be visible from much of north Cambridge and its new developments including the proposed housing across the road on the site of the existing works.”
Anglian Water submitted a Development Consent Order last year to request permission.
The site would become home the new North East Cambridge development of about 8,000 homes.
In March 2019, £227million of funding was allocated to Anglian Water and Cambridge City Council from the government to fund the relocation.
