By Harry Mottram: One of the South West’s largest infrastructure projects is set to begin by 2029 with the construction of Cheddar Reservoir 2 providing enough water for 40,000 homes. With the numbers of new homes being constructed in Axbridge, Cheddar, Winscombe, Hutton Moor and Banwell it will come as no surprise plans for the massive reservoir that were ditched in 2018 over cost grounds is now firmly on the agenda.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water and Flooding and Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice Emma Hardy met Susan Davy the CEO of South West Water who own the reservoir at Sharpham Road to view the proposed project.
She said: “It brings jobs into the local area as well and I’m really pleased to be coming here to support it and find out more.”
The BBC’s Trudi Harris reported that, ‘the reservoir would help to make sure the area did not run out of water in 10 years, part of a wider £500m investment in Somerset. Ms Hardy added the water company is making a “record investment” into the water industry – providing more than £100bn over the next five years.’
Cheddar Reservoir is owned by Bristol Water who in turn are owned by South West Water who are owned by the Devon based Pennon Group who have put by £84million for the project. Survey work has been taking place across the area as to where the reservoir will go as planning and costings have been drawn up for the engineering project. The area for the new reservoir will be the farmland south of the existing one due to the underlying geology.
Although no definitive plans have been published, when Bristol Water planned it back in 2013 and then abandoned the idea it is expected to be similar in scale and scope. It will mean miles of hedgerow and hundreds of trees would be ripped out as a huge bowl is scooped out of the ground involving heavy plant, diggers and hundreds of workers and contractors. An access road could to be constructed along with a small village of portacabins for the workers and cordoned off areas for the machinery – as can be seen in Banwell where a new bypass is being built.
Previously the Pennon Group said: “As part of our 2025-2030 business plan we’re resurrecting plans for the Cheddar 2 reservoir, that will benefit customers across the Greater South West,” the company said in a statement. Across our entire region we are working hard to develop a multi-faceted demand and supply strategy to protect our supplies and break the cycle of drought.”.
The first reservoir was constructed using pick and shovels, steam powered cranes and shovels, diesel powered plant and hundreds of workers in the 1930s. It was completed just before World War Two with a second one planned to be built alongside it but this didn’t happen due to costs and the outbreak of war.
For more on South West Water see https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/2025/02/26/axbridge-review-cheddar-reservoirs-owner-susan-davy-the-ceo-of-the-pennon-group-grilled-over-leaks-pollution-and-her-860000-salary-plus-news-of-cheddar-reservoir-2/
For more on the history of the reservoir see https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/axbridge/axbridge-features/axbridge-review-looking-back-to-the-1930s-when-400-men-steam-power-and-picks-and-shovels-built-cheddar-reservoir-in-the-shadow-of-the-second-world-war/
Axbridge Review is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.
Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc
Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk
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