At Anglian Water we are committed to providing a reliable and resilient water supply to four million customers whilst protecting the environment. Therefore, we must keep our 38,000km of water mains in excellent condition.

That’s why we are going to install over 3km of new water pipes between Lillingstone Lovell and Whittlebury.

This work will replace the old 12-inch water main and with a new, high performance polyethylene pipe, thus reducing the likelihood of bursts and leaks. It will also allow us to better-manage supply and demand in the area, so we can ensure we continue supplying residents through peak demand.

This project has been in planning for some time, with road-space availability proving challenging due to high demand from other contractors, HS2, and utility providers all seeking similar routes and diversion options. However, we have now been allocated a five-week window to complete the work.

We are therefore planning to start on 5 January and hope to complete by 6 February.

To carry out this work safely, we will need to work within the carriageway. This means a road closure will be required along the A413 for the duration of the scheme. I have attached the draft traffic management plan for your review.

We have explored installing the pipe in verges/surrounding fields however due there being sites of special scientific Interest in the area - these are protected areas designated for their important wildlife, plants, geology or landforms, any work that could damage the habitat, disturb species, or alter the landscape is heavily restricted as these are legally protected.