Lib Dems Demand A Level Playing Field Over Reservoir (Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrats)

Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrats <info@oxwablibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems Demand A Level Playing Field Over Reservoir

August 18, 2008 1:52 PM

Vale Lib Dems are calling for the government to ensure that residents and their representatives are given enough support to properly respond to Thames Water's consultation on the proposed reservoir in the south east of the district.

The Council will tonight respond to the 900+ page document put out by the private water provider but Vale Councillors have expressed concern that the resources of the Vale and local groups are dwarfed by the substantial resources available to Thames Water to promote the scheme.

Drayton Councillor Richard Webber said: "The Vale has tried very hard to scrutinise Thames Water's case for the reservoir but this has to be done at Council Tax payers' expense. The case for the reservoir involves quite detailed scientific and engineering analysis and , over the past two years, the goal posts have been moved as Thames Water's predictions of leakage fixing, per capita water consumption, global warming effects and so on have all been changed.

"In short, we have spent much time and money to try to hit a moving target. Thames Water is a successful private company with significant assets. The one definite thing we can say about a new reservoir is that it would increase the company's assets, which has to make us all stop and think about the motives behind this proposal.

"I would like important decisions such as this proposal for Europe's largest above ground reservoir near Drayton to be based on the best available independent scientific evidence, and that the decisions made are environmentally and economically sustainable."