Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expedite planning permission for, and the construction of, (1) the Fens Reservoir, and (2) the Lincolnshire Reservoir.

The Government is taking decisive steps to expedite the delivery of the Fens and Lincolnshire reservoirs as part of our long-term strategy to improve water resilience and support sustainable development in water-stressed regions. Both projects have recently been designated as Nationally Significant. This means that planning decisions will be made by the Secretary of State through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, rather than by local planning authorities. The DCO process consolidates multiple consents into a single application, helping to reduce duplication and avoid unnecessary delays.

These designations are intended to provide greater certainty for developers, regulators, and local communities, and to ensure a more efficient route through the planning system.