The town on the edge of England's newest reservoir

The new reservoir near Chatteris will be the first to be built in England for 30 years

Four hundred years after the Cambridgeshire Fens were drained, a new reservoir is set to redraw the landscape once again.

Located between Chatteris and Doddington, the Fens Reservoir will supply water to 250,000 homes in an area widely considered to be the driest in the UK.

It is also where the country's fastest-growing cities, including Cambridge and Peterborough, are located.

So what impact will the scheme have on the villages and towns that make up the mostly rural Fenland area?

'Hopefully, it'll bring more jobs'

Customers at Nana's Tea Room, including Jackie Goodwin (in blue), have mixed feelings about the new reservoir

It's a wet Wednesday in the market town of Chatteris, and Nana's Tea Room is an ideal place to catch up on the latest news as the showers slowly subside.

For born-and-bred local Jackie Goodwin, 76, the number of houses being built around the town is what concerns her the most.

"We're getting a lot of housing, but we haven't got the schools, doctors, dentists. A lot of estates are being built. It's phenomenal," she says.

Like many others, she concedes the reservoir is good news, despite being worried about "all the extra people coming in".

"Hopefully, it'll bring more jobs," she adds.

'It's a real positive'

Teacher Catherine Laws says the reservoir's visitor attractions could give local children "something to do"

For schoolteacher Catherine Laws, the reservoir will give children "somewhere to go".

Anglian Water's plans for the site include "places for play and exploring", a "lagoon for recreation", as well as walks and paths for cycling and riding.

"I think it's a real positive," says Ms Laws.

"It takes a long time to get to places when we do our school trips and a lot of the cost is on our coaches.

"That's the biggest part of our expenditure, so having somewhere local to go will be more cost-effective."

Impact 'hard to imagine'

Most of Abby Harvey's customers agree the new reservoir could bring in new jobs

Nana's owner Abby Harvey agrees.

"In Chatteris, there is a lot going on if you look hard enough, but for teenagers it's a bit trickier," she says.

With the reservoir still in its planning stages, understanding the impact of a large tourist attraction, she says, is "hard to imagine, but it'll be good if it brings jobs to the area".

When completed, the Fens Reservoir will be the first to be built in England for more than 30 years.

Critics have blamed the privatisation of water companies, light-touch regulation and complexities within the planning process for the lack of investment in England's water sector.

In May, the government stepped in "to speed up delivery" of the scheme, prompted by concerns over water scarcity and rapid population growth.

Water Minister Emma Hardy warned that any delays could mean "running out" of drinking water by the mid-2030s.

Figures from Anglian Water suggest demand for water will outstrip available supplies by nearly 600 million litres (132 million gallons) per day by 2050, describing the project as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lasting benefits for people, place and the environment".

Current estimates suggest a planning application could be submitted by 2027.

'At the moment we're stuck in the middle'

Third-generation farmer Luke Edgley remains cautious about the impact of the reservoir

That is a long way off for third-generation farmer Luke Edgley, whose family business, Nightlayers Farm, skirts the rumoured site of the reservoir.

When asked if the project could impact the company's future, he is unsure.

"My honest answer at the minute is, I don't know," he says.

"We've had a few letters, a few community-type meetings, and all we've been told is continue as usual until you hear any different.

"For us personally, sometimes the unknown is worse than 'We're going to compulsory buy your business in 10 years' time', because at least you know what your target is or, 'We don't want your land, continue as usual.'

"At the minute, you could say we're stuck in the middle."

'I'll be happy as long as Chatteris benefits'

Chatteris town mayor Linda Ashley says despite some concerns, Fenland is the best place for a new reservoir

Anglian Water has held two public consultations so far, with a third expected in the autumn.

The town's mayor Linda Ashley says it's clear what locals want - and don't want.

"The word on the ground is they do not want a blot on the landscape or to find out the water is not coming to Chatteris," she says.

"They want easy access via footpaths, cycleways, which Chatteris is desperate for, and paramount to that is the safety around the area on the roads."

She is sanguine about the physical impact of the scheme but admits feeling conflicted.

"It makes me a bit sad," she says.

"Fenland is flat. We're going to have this massive new reservoir coming out of the ground with a giant bund around it.

"But then it is a necessity. Water is a big thing, isn't it, and the best place possibly for it is Fenland.

"I'll be happy as long as Chatteris benefits."