This is one a a series of articles published in Longstanton Life between February 2016 and the present, showing just how often dire warnings were issued about the destruction of Longstanton’s groundwater, and just how often they were ignored by those whose duty it was to take timely action.
Tony Cowley wrote:
Local Well Appeal
A local agriculturist, whose livelihood depends on the availability of a constant supply of water from his licensed well, was struggling to cope even before this current heat wave. The well pump was stopping to wait until the water level in the well had trickled back to its minimum level to switch it back on again, taking over an hour to do so. He has had to adapt to this reduction in his water supply for this season, by laying off two green houses, He also reports that he has lost several trees, with more dying on his property.
He has taken his case to Heidi Allen, MP for Cambridgeshire. She is hoping for an early meeting with LPC, SCDC and Gallagher to raise these concerns.
We reported on this case as long ago as Feb/March 2016 as a suspected consequence of dewatering of the ground, prior to building Northstowe phase 1. We can only lend our support and hope that Heidi Allen can do the same.
( The horticulturalist mentioned is Clive Hayden of Larksfield Nursery. The local and national press, and the BBC, finally caught up with this story in June 2022.)