Plans for the construction of a £125m reservoir in Somerset have been approved by the local council.
Bristol Water submitted an application to build Cheddar Reservoir Two, alongside an existing reservoir, to Sedgemoor District Council in December 2013. The council has now given its approval, subject to Section 106 agreement and planning conditions.
However, there is still a long way to go before any construction, the company said, as the investment must also secure regulatory approval from Ofwat.
Bristol Water’s plan is to build a 9,400 million litre reservoir built close to the existing Cheddar Reservoir. It would be the first of its kind built in the UK for more than three decades, the company says. It could be fully operational by 2025, filled by surplus winter water flows in Cheddar Gorge.
Arup is Bristol Water’s lead planning and engineering consultant on the project.