Business concerns as reservoir consultation ends

Plans for a reservoir in the Oxfordshire countryside would be "absolutely devastating" for a business located on the land, its owner has said.

A consultation on Thames Water's South East Strategic Reservoir Option, near Abingdon, to supply 15 million people in the south east of England is due to end this week.

Hal Colliver said it would be "impossible" to relocate his air maintenance and training company, which is located within the area earmarked for the reservoir.

Thames Water has insisted the project, costing £7.5bn, is a "vital piece of national water infrastructure".

According to Thames Water, almost 1,200 responses have so far been submitted to a statutory consultation.

The company described the consultation, due to end on Tuesday, as a "critical step for the project" with responses helping to shape the Development Consent Order application that is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State later this year.

The reservoir is expected to be about 4.5 sq miles (7 sq km), roughly the same size as Gatwick Airport.

It could cost up to £7.5bn with customers of Thames Water, Affinity Water and Southern Water all due to pay for the new reservoir through their bills.

Among the businesses affected is V1 Flight, owned by Hal Colliver, whose airstrip is on land earmarked to be flooded for the reservoir.

He said he had not yet received any formal direct contact from Thames Water but described the site as "unique".

"To lose, in my opinion, such a valuable piece of farmland for generations forever would be absolutely devastating and the prospect is is truly terrifying," he said.

"There's a wider concern about the environmental impact and the displacement of all the incredible wildlife that we've got here."

He described the reservoir plans as a "red herring" and said fixing leaks would be more "cost effective" in securing water supplies.

Olly Glover, Liberal Democrat MP for Didcot and Wantage, said Thames Water was focused on "glossy public event consultations" rather than debating the proposals.

"Thames Water has got pretty wobbly finances and the cost liability for this reservoir already is increasing before even a spade has gone in the ground," he said.

"That could land on the government's desk and surely they don't want that given that public finances are already very fragile."

He said there were "lots of questions" about the traffic plans and the impact of lorries on the locality during construction.

Fellow Liberal Democrat MP for the neighbouring Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, last week questioned the ability of Thames Water to deliver the project.

She called the failure of the company "inevitable" during a Westminster Hall debate.

Among those in favour of the project, chairman of the Institute of Civil Engineers National Reservoir Infrastructure forum Terry Fuller said it would help meet an expected shortfall of nearly 5bn litres of water a day across England by 2050.

He said: "It really is quite an order of magnitude of additional water that we're going to need.

"And of course the pressure for that is heightened by climate change, the need to build drought resilience and population growth.

"What we are in danger of doing at the moment is over-abstracting water from our rivers and watercourses.

"There's no doubt about it when you build a reservoir, it's a massive change to to that landscape.

"But there are ways of making it sit gently and well within that landscape and so that it isn't an eyesore it actually becomes a resource which people will want to go and visit."

Thames Water hopes to start building the facility in 2029, with the reservoir operational from 2040.

Leonie Dubois, head of engagement, land and consents at Thames Water, said with the south east among the driest areas of the country, "securing a reliable supply of water is becoming increasingly urgent".

"The proposed new reservoir is not just a vital piece of national water infrastructure, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the local community, with new jobs, skills opportunities and exciting new recreational facilities," Dubois said.

"We want the reservoir to become a destination in its own right, supporting biodiversity, boosting the local economy through tourism and offering a place for people to explore, unwind and connect with nature."

The public consultation ends at midnight on Tuesday.

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