Witney News - Response to reservoir consultation

Response to reservoir consultation

Cabinet members at West Oxfordshire District Council have unanimously agreed that the case for a new reservoir near Abingdon has not been clearly demonstrated by Thames Water.

Cllr Verena Hunt, Cabinet Member for Planning said, "We are concerned because this is such a major project, which will impact hugely on the Abingdon area and neighbouring districts, and yet the need has still not been proven. This concern is also being expressed by other authorities including Oxfordshire County Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council."

Cabinet members were also concerned about a number of other issues. These include the rationale used to select a site which is a considerable distance from where the majority of the water is needed (London) and that a third of water is still being lost through leakages.

Cllr Hunt spoke about the scale of the development, explaining that the embankment would be up to 25 metres (80 feet) high, with a depth of 33 metres (108 feet) and surface water area of 6.7 sq kilometres. She said, "This is a major development and we are already at the second stage of the consultation with questions still unanswered from the first stage. We feel this proposal is being rushed through, which is not the best way forward."

The Council is responding to the second stage of a five part consultation. It is asking that as a neighbouring authority it is consulted about this major proposal at every stage.

The Council will be asking Thames Water to come in and give a presentation about their proposals.