In a major speech on Labour’s plans to grow the UK economy with new infrastructure projects, Chancellor Rachel Reeves talked about building a third runway at Heathrow, creating a growth corridor between Oxford and Cambridge, and among other projects, building the Abingdon Reservoir.

Reeves said the government will invest £7.9 billion in water projects over five years, including two big reservoirs: one near Cambridge and one near Abingdon.

The idea of an Abingdon Reservoir has been controversial for decades. Thames water have put forward proposals and local groups and councils have opposed it, but the new Labour government has approved the latest proposal.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) wants a legal review because the Environment Secretary Steve Reed MP approved the £2.2 billion project without a public inquiry.

Picture is taken from https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/regulation/strategic-water-resource-solutions/new-reservoir-in-abingdon.

Last week we got the news that Thames Water has received government approval for its Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP), which outlines its strategy to ensure a sustainable water supply for the Southeast of England over the next 50 years.

The plan includes two major infrastructure projects: the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO, also known as the Abingdon Reservoir) and the Teddington Direct River Abstraction project. In addition to these infrastructure projects, Thames Water will implement measures to reduce water leakage and reduce customer demand, such as installing smart meters and promoting water conservation.

The next major step for Thames Water is to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) – required for the construction of the SESRO.

Local opposition to the project remains strong. The Group Against Reservoir Development (GARD) has vowed to continue fighting the plans until the DCO goes for approval, and may seek a judicial review.

The Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) has expressed disappointment that the Secretary of State for the environment has not taken up their offer of a meeting to address their concerns. Councillor Bethia Thomas, the VWHDC leader, said ‘We remain opposed to these proposals, and this news makes taking a stand against this much more challenging, but we will continue to do what is within our limited power.’

The deadline for submitting responses to the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) consultation runs to 11:59 PM on August 28, 2024.

The Vale of White Horse District Council has submitted their comprehensive response, which runs to 26 pages. They argue that alternative solutions should be explored. They also raise concerns about the lack of information regarding design, environmental impact, and construction plans. See https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/planning/council-submits-response-to-thames-water-reservoir-consultation/

Other groups, such as the Group Against Reservoir Development (GARD), have also responded and are encouraging public participation.

The consultation asks for views on various aspects of the project, including:
Infrastructure: railway access, road access, road replacement (Steventon to East Hanney Road), water treatment works, intake/outfall, and emergency discharge.
Process: The process used to develop preferred options.
Master Plan: Design principles and the overall layout.

There is also a final question for ‘any other comments’.

So you can still provide your feedback by filling out an online questionnaire at https://thames-wrmp.co.uk/projects/sesro/.

The next big event will be the Statutory public consultation in 2025. This consultation is presumably not statutory.

Work on some trial embankments should soon be underway.  Costain have been given the contract and will build three test embankments. Geologists will study how the local Kimmeridge clay behaves under different conditions to see if it’s suitable for the reservoir’s large embankments.

Thames Water held two community exhibitions, one on November 10th at East Hanney War Memorial Hall and the other on November 15th at Steventon Milton Hill House, to present their plans for a new reservoir near Abingdon. These events followed the release of Thames Water’s revised draft Water Resources Management Plan in August.

The proposed reservoir was the exhibition’s primary focus. There was no mention of alternative options such as the River Severn transfer scheme, which was promoted on banners displayed around the proposed site by the Group for Action on Reservoir Development (GARD).

The proposed reservoir would have a capacity of 150 million cubic meters, an option that Thames Water had considered alongside a 100 million cubic meter capacity earlier this year. Gard have said ‘Thames Water have ignored criticisms of their draft plans and ‘doubled down’ to select an even bigger Reservoir for Abingdon‘. Thames Water say it will offer better value for money and will provide enough water to supply the Southern Water area of Hampshire.  The reservoir would take land currently used as farmland and a couple of large solar farms. A copy of the handout brochure can be found at https://camargue-thames-water-wrmp.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/sro/SESRO+Brochure+FINAL.pdf.

Representatives from Thames Water were present to answer questions. One representative indicated that the reservoir plans are being developed with the assumption that the project will proceed, but that it will still need to undergo public consultation and secure development consent in approximately 2026.