Thames Water defends £1.4bn Abingdon reservoir proposal as public shown plans using VR

Thames Water says a reservoir 'the size of Gatwick airport' which would be constructed in the Oxfordshire countryside would benefit local residents.

The water firm is working with Affinity Water and Southern Water on the project near Abingdon, which would be on on six square miles of land between Drayton and East Hanney.

It will mostly supply water to people in London and the South East, one of several reservoirs planned across the country to help tackle climate change.

Its overall aim is to help the wider region during droughts.

If the plans do go through, construction will begin in 2029 - almost 40 years after the initial idea was first floated.

A series of events for residents living nearby began on Thursday (27 June) in Sutton Courtenay as a public consultation starts.

Thames Water hope the use of virtual reality (VR) would help alleviate any concerns from locals so they can experience what the project look like when completed.

The controversial project has come under heavy scrutiny because work would last a decade and not enough supply would go to the surrounding areas.

Key facts:

• An application for development consent will be made in 2026.

• Construction will begin in 2029 if approved, with it being fully operational by 2040

• It could supply enough water to fill 3 million baths

• The surface water area is around 2.5 miles wide, with around 150 million cubic metres of water

• Water would be supplied via new pipelines to support customers in 'Swindon and Oxfordshire', 'Slough, Wycombe and Aylesbury' and wider Hampshire customer areas

• Water from the reservoir would also be released into the River Thames to flow downstream to London for abstraction

Leonie Dubois, Thames Water’s Head of Engagement, Land and Consents said: "We recognise if you live close to infrastructure you may have concerns about what that means to you.

"It's why we are urging people to talk to us to see the possibility and the opportunity to have this near to them."

Dubois said that they want to know if locals want things like sailing on the reservoir, dog walking routes or even cafes.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the level of response we’ve already received to our public consultation," said Dubois.

"Local communities are certainly alive to the climate change challenge and recognise that we need to invest in more new reservoirs to support future growth. 

“Naturally, we’ve heard from people with concerns too, and I’d encourage them to come and see us when we visit towns and villages in Oxfordshire over the next four weeks.

"The opportunity for two-way conversation is an important part of the consultation process, and we genuinely want to hear people’s views and hopefully help to alleviate their concerns.” 

It comes as campaigners against say it will completely destroy local habitats. Just under 2000 people have already signed a petition against the reservoir with critics saying the money should be spent on fixing leaks and updating existing infrastructure instead.

The consultation period extends until 28 August.

Community events are being held:

• Saturday 29 June, 10:00 - 16:00, Royal British Legion, East Hanney

• Monday 1 July, 11:00 - 17:00, Abingdon Guildhall, Abingdon

• Friday 5 July, 11:00 - 17:00, Loyd Lindsay Rooms, Wantage

• Tuesday 9 July, 14:00 - 20:00, Didcot Civic Hall, Didcot

• Monday 15 July, 14:00 - 20:00, Milton Hill House, Steventon

• Thursday 18 July, 14:00 - 20:00, Marcham Centre, Marcham

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