Wildlife Trust to step back from Grafham Water as Anglian Water brings conservation work in-house

The Wildlife Trust will no longer oversee conservation work at Grafham Water after Anglian Water confirmed plans to manage the popular Huntingdonshire nature reserve using its own in-house team. The water company says wildlife protections and public access will remain unchanged.

The Wildlife Trust will no longer be working at Grafham Water, following a decision by Anglian Water to bring conservation management of the site in-house.

The trust has partnered with Anglian Water for many years to help oversee the popular reservoir and nature reserve in Huntingdonshire, which is widely used by walkers, cyclists, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts.

However, Anglian Water has confirmed it is developing its own conservation team as part of planned investment at Grafham Water, meaning the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire will no longer be involved in day-to-day work at the site.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said the change follows plans to improve the area for both visitors and wildlife.

They said: “We’ve got lots of exciting investment planned at Grafham to improve the site for visitors and wildlife. To support that additional investment, we’re developing our in-house team and as part of that we’ve decided to deliver conservation work through our in-house team.”

The company stressed that the move would not affect the environmental status of the reserve or how the public uses it.

The spokesperson added: “We will be maintaining the same wildlife designations and access to our site. The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire have been a fantastic partner at Grafham, and we’ll continue to work closely with them at Pitsford Water, as well as on a range of other projects across the region.”

The Wildlife Trust declined to comment on the decision.

Grafham Water remains one of the largest reservoirs in England and an important habitat for birds and other wildlife, as well as a major outdoor destination for residents and visitors across Cambridgeshire.