Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, and Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park, wrote today to Steve Barclay, MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to state their strongly held belief that Thames Water’s Teddington DRA should be removed altogether from Thames Water’s Water Resources Management Plan.
An extract from the letter is below. See the text of the full letter here.
No one is questioning the need to have robust drought resilience plans to face the climate crisis, and there is undoubtedly a need to future-proof our water supply.
However, we contend that Thames Water have so far failed to make the case that the Teddington proposal is the right proposal to achieve the stated objective of ensuring drought resilience. This is particularly true given that more viable alternative proposals are available; that the environmental, construction and social impacts have yet to be fully assessed; and that “best value” has yet to be defined.
Unanswered questions about environmental, construction and social impacts
Our constituents are extremely worried about the environmental impact of these proposals, including on water quality, human health, biodiversity and wildlife.
Meanwhile, Moormead Park and Ham Lands conservation area are among the precious local green spaces that would be turned from nature sites to construction sites if the scheme is approved.
This is not to mention the social impacts of the proposals. On any given day, our stretch of the River Thames is alive with people swimming, rowing, kayaking and paddle boarding – whether individually, as a family, or with sporting clubs and youth groups. Ham Lands is a beloved nature site, and Moormead Park is a vital hub for play, sport and recreation – including youth cricket and football – for local families and schools.
Time and time again, we and campaign groups like Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR) have asked for environmental assessments on human health and biodiversity. With the Environment Agency itself having said that Thames Water have so far failed to show that the Teddington scheme is “feasible or environmentally acceptable”, this alone would be a compelling reason to stop the proposals in their tracks.
Couldn’t put it better. Thank you to our MP’s. Everyone who lives and works locally is against the scheme
Well said! Is there anything more we can do as individuals to protect our community?
Thanks, Geoff! Best thing is to sign up to the SOLAR newsletter and look for calls to action there. But really, keep the pressure on as an individual citizen by writing yourself to Defra, Ofwat, Environment Association, Councillors and MPs (though our Councillors and MPs universally against the scheme now). And join the Campaign WhatsApp channel to see when we are doing things in real life, which we will be!