Abingdon reservoir: District council new objection to plans

The Water Resources South East (WRSE) consultation, in which the reservoir has been included, addresses the future of water supplies in the region.

The council argue the WRSE Plan is a key point in the process of deciding whether the reservoir, planned between Abingdon, Steventon and East Hanney, is likely to be needed.

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The £1.244bn project is being proposed by Thames Water and could cover up to seven sq km of land.  

The proposed area of land could cover up to 7 sq km

Vale of White horse District Council stated: “Our Council considers that the water companies should instead be focusing efforts on improving water efficiency and fixing leaks.

“There are other proposed ‘strategic resource solutions’ which merit further investigation, such as the proposed water transfers which could instead be brought forward first.

“The water companies and WRSE should wait until further investigative work on the other strategic resource options has been completed before choosing to bring SESRO [the reservoir] forward before other solutions.”

A main concern is the impact that the reservoir would have on the environment.

The council stated in their objection: “It is not clear why this scheme that will result in major carbon emissions is being prioritised over smaller, less environmentally destructive projects.

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“In addition to the carbon emissions, there will also be significant impacts on those living near to the reservoir from this major construction project and local residents are concerned about this.”

The objection also detailed concerns regarding:

What the proposal means for flood risk in the local area.

• Diversions of the existing road network through the site.
• Replacement of the solar farms located on the site.
• Air quality impact from construction
• Whether biodiversity net gain can be achieved and the potential impact on protected species living on or near the site.
• Impact on archaeology

A further objection regards the size of the reservoir, when the population of the region is taken into account.

The council added: “As highlighted in our previous response to the emerging WRSE regional plan, there are over-estimates in the number of customers projected for the region, based on the population data and population growth forecasts.

“This information should all be updated to reflect the more accurate information provided by the ONS 2021 Census.”

Thames Water were contacted for a response to the allegations made in this article.

A Thames Water spokesman said: “It’s critical that we act now to secure our water supplies for the future, which is why we have launched our draft Water Resources Management Plan 24 which sets out the actions and investment needed for the next 50 years.

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 “The past summer, with extreme heat and lack of water, is a clear indication of climate emergency first-hand.

“There are no simple quick solutions and we need to plan ahead to manage a growing population, a changing climate and an increasing drought risk as well as making sure we can protect our environment now and in the future.   

 “We’re proposing to invest in several new strategic schemes that will provide water to Oxfordshire and the South East, including the new reservoir.  

“Other proposed options include a new river abstraction at Teddington supported by water recycling, transfers with Affinity and Southern Water to enable effective sharing of resources and transfer from the River Severn to Thames. 

 “We’re still in the very early stages of consultation and design and have held several community events, including in Oxford, Abingdon and Steventon, where we have listened and responded to questions raised by the local community.

“The public can have their say on our consultation which is open until the 21 March 2023.”