Sedgemoor Council has asked for more information regarding Bristol Water’s planning application to construct a major new reservoir and issued a formal Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 22 request.

The development represents the latest stage in the progress of Bristol Water’s planning application for a major new source of water - Cheddar Reservoir Two in Somerset. The Council and its advisers have sought more information and clarification regarding some aspects of the application.

As a result of Sedgemoor’s request, Arup, Bristol Water’s consultant for the scheme, has now prepared an Environmental Statement Addendum, which provides supplementary environmental information to the planning application.

The planning application was registered by Sedgemoor on 23rd December 2013 and was accompanied by an Environmental Statement. The application is being considered by the planning authority and has been subject to consultation with statutory and non-statutory consultees.

 As a result of this a number of areas were identified where the planning authority thought further information was required. Sedgemoor considered this extra information was required “in order to enable a full assessment of the likely significant environmental effects of the proposal to be undertaken and to enable mitigation measures to be identified where necessary”.

Full details of the application can be seen on the Sedgemoor website, together with the current 21 replies from consultees and 25 from ‘interested parties’, just seven of whom registered actual objections to the scheme.

Following provision of the requested information a period of re-consultation is now underway – deadline for responses is 29th May 2014.

 The water company said the latest development was “just another step in the journey” towards Sedgemoor’s decision on the application which was not regarded as a setback of any kind,

 Jeremy Williams, Bristol Water’s CR2 project spokesman commented:

“The Reg. 22 request is relatively routine, given the complexity of such a major application. After all, the application is accompanied by over 300 different supporting documents – it would be very surprising if there were no follow-up queries at all from the council. We have, of course, co-operated fully in providing the extra information requested. We do not regard this as any kind of setback to the progress of the application and we look forward to it going before the Development Committee in due course.”