Design vision and principles

The emerging design has been developed to show how this could be an exciting destination enjoyed by surrounding communities, while also attracting visitors from across the East of England.

People

The reservoir will celebrate the Cambridgeshire Fens for the local people who know this landscape so well.

As a new focus for economic growth, it will help improve lifestyles and social prosperity, with exciting new opportunities for recreation and engagement with nature.

With new connections to nearby communities and links to existing routes in the wider area, this will be a place for people to enjoy nature, water and the surrounding countryside.

Nature

Flood storage and habitat creation areas around the reservoir could give a flavour of the historic landscape of marshes and waterways from before the Fens were drained.

These renewed habitats will aim to attract wildlife, adding to the richness of nature in the area.

Water

The Fens Reservoir will store water from local waterways, securing a resilient supply to meet the needs of future generations across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia.

It will reduce the pressure on aquifers and chalk streams and help these sensitive environments recover, while protecting water supplies for agriculture.

Design principles overview

Design principles are a set of guidelines for how a project should be designed. We have developed indicative design principles specific to the reservoir in the Fens which have guided how we have developed the emerging design to date. These are summarised below.