Anglian Water is recommencing works on the Grantham to Peterborough Section of the Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) on Monday (31st March), eighteen months earlier than expected thanks to the intervention of Alicia Kearns MP.
In November Alicia brought together the NFU, Anglian Water, Grimsthorpe Estate and local farmers to discuss issues with Anglian Water’s pipeline programme and the impact the delay of two years was having on arable land, food production and local communities. Following a further meeting this week to resolve the issues raised, work will be restarting 18 months earlier than expected.
The SPA programme is designed to support Anglian Water to adapt to regional climate challenges, increase resilience to drought and continue to serve the rapidly growing population locally. Completing this stretch of the pipeline is expected to take two years, and pipeline is expected to be being laid from May onwards, but residents will see activity from Monday 31st March onwards.
Alicia Kearns, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Stamford, said:
“Working with our local farmers, landowners, Grimsthorpe Estate and Anglian Water I am pleased our farmers and communities’ voices have been heard, and I’m very grateful to Anglian Water for doing the significant work needed for pipeline works to recommence 18 months earlier than previously planned.
“Since my election, concerns surrounding the project have been repeatedly raised with me by residents across Lincolnshire, so this news is a great relief for all involved.”
Colin Wilkinson, Programme Area Manager (North) from the Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline team, said:
“Following some focused replanning and early completion of other sections of our Strategic Pipeline, we are pleased that from Monday (31st March) we will resume pipelaying on the Grantham to Peterborough section of this vital water infrastructure project.
“We very much appreciate the patience and understanding of local landowners and farmers as we get going again on this section.
“Once complete, hundreds of kilometres of underground, large-diameter, interconnecting pipelines will allow between 15 and 55 million litres of water to be moved from ‘wetter’ to ‘drier’ areas of the region, helping to combat the risk of shortages, boosting resilience and securing water supplies. Well over 200km of pipe is already in the ground and will eventually join up from north Lincolnshire right down to Essex.”
