In most respects, Chatteris is much like any other Cambridgeshire market town.

Nestled between Peterborough and Cambridge, the town’s 11,000 residents enjoy a close-knit community and quintessential English countryside.

But an incoming project makes Chatteris a little bit different – the Fens Reservoir, a proposed large-scale water reservoir, is planned for its doorstep.

The Government said it would sidestep local opposition and drive through plans to build the reservoir.

Water minister Emma Hardy pledged to “back the builders not the blockers” last week as the Government seized control of the planning process from the local planning authority.

This is at odds with many local residents, who fear the reservoir could “spoil” their local town and impact house prices.

But with the re

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