Savills has been involved in one of the largest UK civil engineering projects of recent years which commenced in Spring 2010.
We provide planning consultancy to Northumbrian Water which, trading as Essex and Suffolk Water, is the statutory water undertaker for a large part of south Essex. In order to meet growing demands and the challenges of climate change, it proposed doubling the size of the existing Abberton Reservoir.
This complex, major project is in a highly sensitive environmental location - the reservoir is an SPA, SSSI and Ramsar site of international importance to wildfowl.
Savills planning experts coordinated the submission of a major planning application for Abberton Reservoir, its accompanying Environmental Statement and Appropriate Assessment, and successfully gained planning permission.
Savills also provided land management and acquisition advice for both the reservoir and the associated water transfer scheme. This included the promotion of a Compulsory Purchase Order. Savills presented evidence in respect of land and planning matters to the resulting public inquiry which included consideration of the tests set by ODPM Circular 06/2004: Compulsory Purchase and the Crichel Down Rules.