And the winners are . . .

Lake 1 - BUG HUNter waters

Chosen by Dayna McCarthy and her 4 year old son because they love catching bugs at the lake.

Judges loved this name and thought it would encourage all ages to connect with the lake.

Lake 2 - Unity Lake

Chosen by Matthew Wood and his daughter for a community committed to working together and finding common ground.

Judges felt this name would signify Northstowe’s community and surrounding communities coming together to enjoy the space.

LAKE 3 - HALCYON MERE

Chosen by Andrew Collier to reflect the sanctuary found by wild birds in the area. The Halcyon bird in Greek mythology has the power to calm the rough oceans to nest.

Judges felt the name reflected the planned natural tranquillity of this lake.

Matthew Brown, Northstowe Lead at Homes England said ‘It has been great to work with the community and partners on this project. These lakes are great assets for the community and we hope people enjoy using them.’

Congratulations to all our winners. We hope you enjoy your Decathlon vouchers and goody bags provided by Anglian Water and Homes England.

Background

Northstowe Town has three new lakes. Their primary function is for surface water drainage and water attenuation, but they will also bring extensive benefits to wellness and outdoor lifestyles, as well as nature and the environment at Northstowe. Two of the lakes are to be opened to the public for recreational use (one already open), and one of the lakes primarily for wildlife habitats.

Homes England launched a competition in March for the community to name the lakes. We launched the competition so that local residents could give each of the lakes an identity, making it easier for meeting friends or for events, or in the future water-based activities like kayaking at the weekend.

We were looking for submissions based on one or more of the following themes:

Wellbeing – as Northstowe is a Healthy New Town and the lakes will provide a place for residents to enjoy.

History - with a community on the wider site dating back from the Doomsday book to Saxons, Romans and more recently, the RAF (RAF Oakington); and

Wildlife – to reference the ecological and wildlife measures being delivered at the Lakes and the wider site.

Following the submission of the names and closing of the competition deadline, the names were filtered down to a selection which met the judging criteria, and then a group of local stakeholders got together to discuss and shortlist the names and choose a top three. Entries were anonymised so the panel chose names based on the merits of the names only.

The judging panel included local elected councillors, a local resident who attends Northstowe Secondary College, Anglian Water and Homes England. We also consulted Northstowe Town Council with the final names for comment before contacting the winners.

It is intended to use signage or artwork near each lake to recognise their new names – more on this soon!

We are grateful to everyone who entered the competition.