On 8 April 2025, the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, granted development consent for The Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant Relocation Project.

About the project

We’re building a modern, low carbon waste water treatment plant to provide vital services for the community and environment which will recycle water and nutrients, and help Greater Cambridge to grow sustainably.

In March 2019, funding was allocated to Anglian Water and Cambridge City Council by the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to submit a Development Consent Order to relocate the existing Cambridge waste water treatment facility. The relocation is designed to unlock the North East Cambridge area, including the major undeveloped brownfield site, known as Hartree, for mixed use redevelopment. This will provide an opportunity to transform the area to create a significant new city district.
 
The new district has been proposed in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils’ North East Cambridge Area Action Plan and emerging joint Greater Cambridge Local Plan. It could deliver over 8,300 homes, over 15,000 new jobs and a wide range of community, cultural and open space facilities.

Building a modern, low carbon waste water treatment facility

The design of the facility will contribute to our goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 by reducing energy consumption and contributing towards the circular economy. 

We are targeting a 70 per cent reduction in “capital” or “embedded” carbon during the construction phase compared to a 2010 baseline by adopting sustainable construction techniques.

Helping Cambridge to grow sustainably

The relocation provides an opportunity to develop a modern, forward-looking water recycling facility, using the latest technology and operational practices.

This means we can continue to serve the growing population of Greater Cambridge for years to come, in a more sustainable and resilient way.