The Case

We are challenging the recent decision to grant planning permission for 4,000 houses at Northstowe Phase 3A after the decision failed to consider impacts of the development on groundwater as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

There are two different aquifers affected by the proposed development: the Cam chalk aquifer, which feeds the River Cam and its chalk stream tributaries, and the Longstanton gravel aquifer, which feeds the groundwater-fed ponds in Northstowe and the neighbouring village of Longstanton.

Cam chalk aquifer

The tributaries of the River Cam are chalk streams. These now have reduced flow, particularly in dry weather, and are gradually drying up. Why? Because too much water is being abstracted from the chalk aquifer that supplies them. The cold, clear, mineral-rich waters of healthy chalk streams support a diverse ecosystem rich in fish and invertebrates, which are excellent food sources for birds, mammals, and amphibians.

The protection of chalk streams is an international issue as well as a local one because 80% of the world’s chalk streams are in southern England. The threat to their survival is mirrored in catchments across the region.

Anglian Water, which is responsible for supplying water to the development at Northstowe, has said it will buy water in bulk from Cambridge Water. However, Cambridge Water, which abstracts all of its water from the Cam chalk aquifer, cannot supply the required water without causing unacceptable environmental harm to the aquifer and the chalk streams it supports.

The Environment Agency has calculated that Cambridge Water needs to make abstraction reductions of 22 million litres per day. Supplying Northstowe will instead add approximately 2 million litres per day to current levels of abstraction.

The River Granta is one of the chalk stream tributaries of the River Cam.

The River Rhee and River Granta, tributaries of the River Cam, are already in a desperate state and regularly supported by artificial augmentation. Abstracting more water from the Cam chalk aquifer will only make this situation worse.

Longstanton gravel aquifer

Recently, in the lovely old church in Longstanton, we shared our grief about the recent occurrence in the village of dried-up ponds, dead fish, dying trees and hedgerows, subsiding gardens and cracked and subsiding buildings, including the church. Why? The development of Northstowe has lowered the groundwater table, damaged the underlying aquifer, emptied the nearby village ponds and dried out the ground in the village and its surroundings.

It was just after the building of Northstowe commenced that the beautiful Kingfisher Pond had disappeared, together with all its kingfishers, its frogs, toads and other wildlife.

A report from national water experts HR Wallingford found that the development of Northstowe is responsible for the drop in groundwater levels in the gravel aquifer, and the developer of Phase 3A admits that a further drop in groundwater of 2 to 3 metres is expected. 

The loss of all water from the village's ponds, including Ladywalk Pond (shown above), has been described as "not significant" by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

On the basis of that assessment, the council decided not to consider the effects on local groundwater as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment, and as a result, key environmental information was not considered as part of the decision-making process.

Our Goal - Our first goal is to raise £5,000 to help cover the legal expenses associated with issuing the claim in the High Court. We then need to raise an additional £20,000 - £30,000 to cover legal expenses associated with a substantive hearing.

The legal team

We have engaged a highly experienced team of environmental lawyers  to request a judicial review of the Northstowe Phase 3A decision. 

Susan Ring, of Hodge Jones & Allen, is a solicitor advocate who has worked in environmental law since 1997. She has fought, and won, many important cases including judicial reviews concerning planning law and environmental impact assessments.

Jenny Wigley QC, of Landmark Chambers, appears regularly in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court in judicial review and statutory review claims including those related to adequate consultation, legitimate expectation, heritage, Habitats Regulations, EIA, SEA, air quality, S. 106 obligations, and conditions.

Please help if you can.

THANK YOU!

Second photo © John Sutton (cc-by-sa/2.0)