MP Steve Barclay raises new concerns over Saxon Pit plans

In a letter to Cambridgeshire County Council’s place and sustainability team, the North East Cambridgeshire MP asks for clarification on planning application CCC/26/058/VAR, which relates to works on the Eastern Buttress at Saxon Pit.

The variation application seeks further time to complete stabilisation and restoration of the former mineral extraction face, following the end of waste importation to the site.

Mr Barclay says it remains unclear how the approved scheme distinguishes between drainage and restoration, and how each element is controlled.

Cambridgeshire MP Stephen Barclay has raised fresh questions over drainage, restoration and regulation at Saxon Pit in Whittlesey (Image: Steve Barclay MP)

He notes that the planning permission includes features with clear drainage functions – including a French drain, reed bed, ponds and ditches – but says it is not evident which parts fall under planning control, which sit with other regulators, or where the boundary between these regimes is being drawn.

The MP also highlights concerns over discharge consent, pointing out that the Middle Level Commissioners have confirmed no consent is currently in place and have formally required one.

In those circumstances, he questions how an effective regulatory regime for discharge can be considered to be operating, and how that position can be reconciled with the assumptions underpinning planning policy.

Mr Barclay asks the county council to provide a clear statement of the current position on the Eastern Buttress scheme, setting out which elements are complete, which remain outstanding, and under which approvals they are secured.

In particular, he seeks specific clarification on the status of the French drain and the delivery of the associated ponds and ditches, which are central to local flood and drainage concerns.

More broadly, the MP warns that the Saxon Pit project now spans multiple planning permissions and condition discharges “without a single coherent, publicly accessible delivery framework”.

He asks whether a clear milestone plan will be produced so residents and stakeholders can track progress, and whether arrangements such as a liaison group will be established to improve transparency around the site.

Mr Barclay says he looks forward to receiving a response from the council on these points, stressing the importance of clearer oversight as the latest Eastern Buttress variation continues through the planning process.