GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development) is holding public meetings in February. So is Thames Water.
The GARD meetings are:
Tuesday 14 February – Steventon Village Hall Millenium Room, at 7.30pm
Thursday 16 February – Preston Rd Community Centre, Abingdon, at 7.30pm
The remaining Thames Water drop-in exhibition is at Steventon Village Hall on Saturday, 18 February.
The draft Plan is at
https://www.wrse.org.uk/media/va1bz21z/10306a_wrse-bv-plan-2022final_online.pdf
The draft regional water resource plan for South East England is out for consultation until 20 February 2023. Have your say at: https://wrse.uk.engagementhq.com/
Is Thames Wastrel running short of water to pour down leaking pipes and return to our pristine water courses in the form of sewage?
One day the leaks will have to be fixed, but let’s not worry about that now while there’s money to be made in the meanwhile … just imagine how tax-deductable ruining acres and acres of Oxfordshore countryside could be …
How to keep water clean: all exhaust pipes to be upstream of intake. Of course, it’s too easy. Any other ideas?
Apparently a reservoir of this size has neve been built before. If the banks develop cracks the whole area will have to be evacuated for up to 60 days. The water is not for this area but London and the South East. There are other sites available nearer London. Thames Water intend to borrow the money for this project with their customers paying the interest on this loan in their water bills. The height of the bank will be 80 feet.
Janet- can you please direct interested blog visitors to the documentation which lists a height of 80feet and mentions evacuation areas? It would be very useful to take a look, thanks
https://www.cpreoxon.org.uk/care/abingdon-reservoir/
https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/19998740.everything-need-know-thames-water-abingdon-reservoir/ – this one makes it even higher
Ultimately the “choice” for us comes down to reservoir, or houses. 🤷♂️
I apologize if I am missing something here. Was this not proposed 20 – 25 years ago? Why are our knickers bunched up now? I very much doubt this will happen in our lifetime or ever. I adore this website for the fantastic photos and general way it keeps everybody up to date on life in the town. Fantastic work. Some of the commentators need to take a chill pill or their choice of relaxation. Enjoy life and do not have a heart attack over lodge hill and drayton/steventon slip roads or reservoirs, obvious new developments, new stores that whether they appear good or bad, bring money in to the local economy.
If you are missing anything, it is that this is the parish pump. Everybody has a view – some of us more strident than others 😉
So a new pigeon on the block or and undertaker wearing brown shoes (or, God forbid, sandals) is gossip-worthy.
Like BG, I love this blog. Can I recommend reading Louise Penny’s Three Pines series? In a small(er) community everything is important. And sometimes, we burst into capital letters!
The monk on the roundabout is a wonderful case in point. It’s not great art; it’s inaccurate in its depiction of a Benedictine, but people care. In London (or Oxford, or Reading) nobody would notice.
Forgive this extended reply, I’m enjoying a rather good red wine.