Thames Water's consultation on plans for a massive new reservoir in Oxfordshire is closing today.
The utility company launched the public consultation on its plans for SESRO (South East Strategic Reservoir Option) in June, and the public have until today (August 28) to share their views.
The reservoir, which would be situated south west of Abingdon, would produce up to 270 million litres of water per day, providing additional water supplies to 15 million people.
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It is set to nearly be as big as Gatwick Airport and has faced repeated local opposition.
Abingdon Town Council and Vale of White Horse District Council have both objected, as part of the consultation process.
Leading the opposition is GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development).
GARD and CPRE have launched a joint petition, calling on DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Reed to call Thames Water’s plans in for a public inquiry, and to date more than 3,000 people have signed the petition.
Campaigners have accused the water company of putting out misleading information about the proposed reservoir.
They said pictures of tree-lined embankments will never be realised in practice, as there are strict rules about minimising planting on reservoir slopes to avoid trees’ roots weakening the embankment.
"It is not, it’s a huge unnatural structure which must be designed with utmost regard to safety or it will be a liability and a disaster waiting to happen."
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Thames Water has since responded by saying: "The reservoir embankments would be designed to reflect the character of the existing landscape, with varied gradients and designed to improve the biodiversity habitat and align with woodlands traversing the embankments.
"The embankments would be laid with grass, with trees planted, and the slope gradients varied to create an interesting natural feature.
"Our design encompasses gradual slopes with landscape fill, which is different from the structural fill needed to create the embankments, allowing for the opportunity for the planting of trees.
"Trees won’t be planted where they could weaken the reservoir embankment structure."
Leonie Dubois, Thames Water’s head of engagement, land and consents, said earlier that community feedback was "at the heart of our plans for the proposed new reservoir in Oxfordshire".
“That’s why we want to hear from local communities. Their views will help to shape our future designs and that feedback is really important to us.”
In GARD's response to the Thames Water consultation, Mr Stork wrote: "We would like to take this opportunity to register our complete astonishment at the superficial level of the consultation material, the startling omissions, the obfuscation and the misleading impressions contained in this consultation."
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