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The final submissions of the main parties were presented to the Inspector from 16th-18th August. It is expected that the Inspector will present her final report and recommendations to the Secretary of State for DEFRA in November.
Note that, as throughout the Inquiry the proposed Abingdon reservoir is referred to as the Upper Thames Reservoir (UTR), GARD has followed this in our submission.
Click here to download a PDF document of the full text of GARD's final submission
The MP for South Swindon, Robert Buckland MP has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Caroline Spellman, raising questions about the proposed reservoir. DEFRAs responce will be published here. MORE
Leading London politicians have turned the spotlight on Thames Water’s plans to build a huge new reservoir.
As Londoners tighten their belts to cope with job cuts, pay freezes and tax rises, Thames Water is proposing to
build a £1 billion mega reservoir near Abingdon, passing the costs onto consumers across London in higher
water bills. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
Leading London politicians have turned the spotlight on Thames Water’s plans to build a huge new reservoir.
As Londoners tighten their belts to cope with job cuts, pay freezes and tax rises, Thames Water is proposing to
build a £1 billion mega reservoir near Abingdon, passing the costs onto consumers across London in higher
water bills. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
GARD is this week taking its fight to a make-or‐break Public Inquiry into the company’s future development plans. Thames Water is proposing to build a £1
billion mega reservoir near Abingdon, with the £1bn construction cost set to be passed on
to consumers across London and southeast in higher water bills. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
Campaigners have this week written to the Prime Minister urging him to hold Thames Water to account for a massive reservoir plan that will cost consumers £1 billion and cause massive environmental damage in his neighbouring constituency. The letter highlights evidence that the reservoir plan, being promoted by Thames Water, is unnecessary, and that more viable alternatives have been dismissed by Thames Water ahead of a public inquiry this month. Consumers in the south‐east would have to pick up the £1 billion bill for the reservoir, whilst less costly alternatives have been unjustifiably dismissed. The campaign against the proposals has cross‐party backing and MPs will be briefed next week at an event in Parliament. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
Campaigners are assembling in Parliament on 9 June to brief MPs on the £1 billion cost to consumers of Thames Water’s proposed reservoir near Abingdon. Ahead of a public inquiry starting on 15 June, GARD is meeting new and returning MPs and their advisors to put forward more efficient, less costly alternatives to the nine‐year reservoir
construction plan. MPs will hear that consumers in the South East and London will pick up the bill for the reservoir, which Thames Water has repeatedly failed to identify a need for. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
GARD has highlighted studies which show that
Thames Water’s proposals for a new Abingdon reservoir would create great environmental
damage and habitat destruction on and around the reservoir site. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
GARD is gathering support as prominent politicians in the General Election fight for Wantage and neighbouring Oxford West and Abingdon have backed the campaign. GARD has been delighted by the support it has received following the latest phase of its campaign to put a stop to Thames Water’s proposal to build a four square mile reservoir in Abingdon. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
GARD is warning that local land and villages will be hit by more flooding in the future if plans to build Abingdon Reservoir get the go‐ahead. The area is already susceptible to flooding with many homes in South Abingdon and nearby villages, such as Steventon, being flooded as recently as 2007. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
GARD has brought to light an environmental report, commissioned by Thames Water, which sets out that their proposed Abingdon reservoir would create massive upheaval and environmental damage. There would be up to 900 vehicle movements on and off the site, potentially causing huge inconvenience and delays at the A34/Marcham interchange, which is already very busy at peak times. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
For the Public Inquiry into Thames Water’s ‘Revised Draft Water Resources Management Plan’ to construct a major new reservoir west of Abingdon at the Thames Basin GARD has produced its Statement of Case document that highlights our objections.
Click here to download a PDF of our statement of case.
“There are far better, cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to the massive reservoir Thames Water wants to build, covering a site of some 5000 acres of prime agricultural land,” said GARD’s Chairman, Nick Thompson, announcing GARD’s new website www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk. MORE
Click here to download a PDF of this press release.
Chairman’s Report from the December AGM MORE
Utilities oppose moves by regulator to give rival companies access to their regional supplies by Tim Webb written for The Observer, Sunday 30th August 2009. MORE
Public meeting hosted by Ed Vaizey, MP.
“The case for the reservoir is very far from proved ” Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of Environment Agency... MORE
We should change the landscape of peoples’ minds rather than the landscape of Oxfordshire.
Bruce Tremayne, recently retired Chairman of CPRE Oxfordshire, criticises the rush to construct a reservoir before other options have been exhausted... MORE
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