Lincolnshire: Anglian Water reservoir plans prompts fears

Farmer Hannah Thorogood says communities would be 'blown apart'

Families in part of Lincolnshire say they are devastated after being told their homes could be bulldozed to make way for a reservoir.

Thousands of acres and dozens of homes on fenland south of Sleaford could be affected if the plans go ahead.

One farmer said it felt as though "a bomb has gone off in our lives".

Anglian Water said the East of England has a third less rainfall than other areas of the UK, so the reservoir would be important for future water supply.

Homes and prime farmland would be lost under the plans

The company wants to build two reservoirs, with the other in the Cambridgeshire fens, to supply enough water for at least 750,000 homes.

In Lincolnshire, the plan has been met with stiff resistance, with an online petition gathering more than 1,000 names.

Farmer Hannah Thorogood, whose family has received a letter informing her of the plans, said: "Your whole world just falls to pieces. We have hardly slept. To lose your homes and your farm... it's all your hopes and dreams.

"We are setting up a life for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It's all about leaving a legacy.

"We are talking about 4,500 acres of prime growing land. There are 58 homes affected."

Ms Thorogood said she also knew of "at least three" farmers who faced losing their homes and livelihoods.

Communities will be "blown apart", she said.

'Enormous sympathy'

Anglian Water said it had "enormous sympathy" for those who faced losing their homes and businesses but added there was no area in the East of England where a new reservoir would not cause disruption.

Geoff Darch, water resource manager at Anglian Water, warned droughts would "become all too common".

"If we do not put this investment in, in the way that we did with Grafham and Rutland in the 1960s and 70s, many people will simply not have the water in future decades to farm and to use in homes," he said.

The new reservoir would be similar in size to Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire (pictured), Anglian Water says

Mr Darch said a public consultation would begin in October.

Subject to planning consent being granted, construction of the two reservoirs could begin between 2025 and 2030 and they could start supplying homes by the mid to late 2030s.

The last major water supply reservoir to be built in the UK was Carsington in Derbyshire, which opened in 1991.