Residents express concerns over new reservoir’s visible scale during construction

Residents living near a new reservoir under construction have voiced apprehensions regarding its elevation. Northumbrian Water is constructing the 9.5-million-gallon (43-million-litre) facility in close proximity to residences in Springwell Village, located in Washington, Sunderland. According to residents, they were informed the structure would be “underground,” but they now worry it will be visually unappealing because its roof, originally intended to be grass-covered, will instead feature gravel. The water company stated it is proceeding “in line” with the planning permission granted by Sunderland City Council. Scheduled to become operational in 2025, the reservoir is projected to supply water to over 250,000 households across South Tyneside and Wearside. While its initial approval in 2019 stipulated a grass covering for its top, this planning condition was successfully amended in 2022 to permit the use of gravel. Keith Nairn, who acquired a property from Homes by Esh in the adjacent Mount Park in 2021, expressed being “surprised” when construction of the reservoir commenced in May 2023. Mr. Nairn, asserting that his views of landmarks such as Durham Cathedral would be obstructed, commented: “None of us had any inkling as to how big it was going to be.” He stated that Northumbrian Water had indicated it would be “underground,” yet the structure extends above ground level. “Once they started building it, you could see it from afar, it’s not underground in the true sense,” Mr. Nairn remarked. He asserted that plans indicating the structure’s walls would be 26ft (8m) tall were “vague,” preventing him from ascertaining their starting point and consequently their visual impact from his residence. Furthermore, residents voiced dissatisfaction that an artist’s impression of the finished structure, which portrayed it as a hill rising above a field, did not accurately represent the view from their properties. Angela Silk, representing the Springwell Village Residents Association (SVRA), which opposed the proposals, noted that multiple footpaths and roads had been temporarily shut, and trees and hedgerows had been cleared, describing this as “horrendous.” She characterized the structure as “far from [being] underground” and “absolutely huge.” Ms. Silk additionally expressed that it was “very sad” to forfeit “such a vast area” of countryside, commenting: “It’s an area of beauty and it’s all being lost.” Homes by Esh stated that purchasers of its properties were “made aware” of the reservoir project and that it had directed clients to Northumbrian Water for comprehensive details, with planning applications accessible for online review. A spokesperson for Northumbrian Water conveyed that the company “appreciate how big an impact” a project of the reservoir’s scale could have on adjacent residences, and the firm was “grateful” for their “patience and understanding.” He mentioned that the company had maintained ongoing communication with residents and that the local greenery would be reinstated, alongside “additional enhancements” to improve local habitats. Sunderland City Council affirmed that it considered “all comments into account” during the plan’s determination and that “due process” was adhered to in its approval.