Sir, "The presumption must be against this reservoir". That was the conclusion of your leader last week, and we wholly endorse it. Thames Water's plans will be both disruptive and destructive of our landscape. Yet, the company continues to leak nearly 900 million litres of water a day; water that has been collected, cleaned and transported, only to be lost. Current plans to reduce this leakage are modest and inadequate.

We understand that the water companies also are planning for an increase in personal consumption of nearly ten per cent a head in the South East, while dragging their feet on water metering and water efficiency.

It is unacceptable that Thames Water is planning such a huge development at this stage. It should not be distracted from its main tasks of reducing leakage and encouraging its domestic and industrial customers to use a precious resource more efficiently.

Bruce Tremayne, Chairman, CPRE Oxfordshire, Charlton-on-Otmoor