About Our Campaign to Oppose TDRA
The Save Our Lands & River (SOLAR)* Campaign group was formed to mount opposition to Thames Water's TDRA (Teddington Direct River Abstraction) scheme. We encourage Thames Water to consider better alternative drought resilience schemes.
SOLAR is campaigning on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of residents living in the proposed area affected by the TDRA scheme, from Isleworth, to St Margarets, Twickenham, Teddington, Ham and North Kingston.
A voluntary group, SOLAR, is supported by extremely concerned individuals as well as resident groups, businesses and charities (see the list of groups supporting us and our share Statement of Opposition below).
Join our SOLAR campaign
We welcome anyone who can add the skills, time and energy to tackle what we consider to be a poor scheme that is bad news for any area. Want to help us? Send us an email if you have specific skills we can use on the campaign. In particular, we are looking for experts in science, ecology, and the environment generally. We are also seeking legal and business finance experts willing to offer their time to our campaign.
9Individuals and organisations are joining our campaign every day
Since the campaign expanded in the February 2024, over 90 organisations, clubs, community groups and businesses have joined us in a shared Statement of Opposition. (See the statement below.)
And over 30,000 people have signed the CHANGE.ORG petition.
Have expertise you can share with the campaign organisers?
Can you offer some expert advice? We have working groups looking at:
- Planning and the DCO challenge
- Social and recreational impact
- Land ecology
- Water health
- Best value & alternatives
- Campaign structure, including finance and fundraising
- Communications
Please email us and let us know how you can help!
Organisations endorsing our Shared Statement of Opposition
(as of: Tuesday 30 April 2024)
Please complete this form if you wish to add the name of your organisation to this list.
- Albion Consulting Limited
- Aligned Design Company, Twickenham
- Axiall Ltd, Teddington
- Bluetits Swimming Club
- Broom Water Association
- But Is It Art, Teddington
- Cafe Benedict, Teddington
- Canbury and Riverside Association (CARA)
- Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience
- Cole Park Allotment Association
- Cole Park Road Residents Association
- Colliers Launches
- Cutters, St Margarets
- Dartmouth Capital Advisors
- Dysart Avenue Residents Association
- Eleana's Bistro
- Fern Hill Primary School
- Friends of Ham Lands
- Friends of Marble Hill
- Friends of Moormead Park
- Friends of Northcote Nature Reserve
- Friends of St Stephen's Primary School
- Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE)
- Friends of The Earth (Kingston)
- Friends of The Earth (Richmond)
- Gibson Lane Estate Agents (Ham)
- Girasole Deli, Teddington
- Grey Court School, Ham
- Ham and Petersham Association
- Ham and Petersham SOS
- Ham House Stables
- Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside Labour Party Branch
- Ham United Group
- Hamilton Design and Build
- Hammertons Ferry
- Hampton and Molesey Riverside Trust
- Hampton Wick Association
- Infidelity HiFi
- Jones and Jones of Hampton Wick
- Kew & Ham Sports Association
- Kings Head, Teddington
- Kingston Rowing Club
- Kingston Royals Dragon Boat Club
- Lankester Engineering LLP
- Lebanon Park Residents Community
- Leander (Kingston) Sea Scouts
- Local Hero (Kingston and Teddington)
- Mervyn Smith & Co
- Moormead Cricket Club
- Moormead Football Club
- Nali Barbers, Teddington
- One Element Richmond
- One One Four, Teddington
- Paddle Richmond
- Paddle Teddington
- Patch co-working space, Twickenham
- Petersham Environment Trust
- Pilates Plus
- Reclaim our Riverside
- Richmond and Kew Football Club
- Richmond Canoe Club
- Richmond Society
- Richmond Yacht Club
- River Action UK
- River Thames Boat Project
- River Users Group (8)
- Riverside Court Owners Association
- Royal Canoe Club
- Royal Outrigger Canoe Club
- Safeboat Ltd of Teddington
- St Catherine's School, Twickenham
- St Margaret's Association of Residents
- St Richard's CE Primary School
- St Stephen's C of E Primary School
- Seething Wells Action Group
- Studio Doherty
- Surbiton High School (Boat Club)
- Teddington Harbour
- Teddington Harbour Yacht Club
- Teddington Hardware
- Teddington Society
- The Anglers, Fuller Smith and Turner
- The Boat Shop, Teddington Harbour
- The Boaters Inn, Kingston
- The Collecterie, Teddington
- The Cut, Teddington
- The Lensbury
- The Palm Centre, Ham
- The Skiff Club
- The Kingston Academy (TKA)
- The Tanning Centre, Teddington
- The Twickenham Society
- The Turk's Head
- The Wharf Restaurant and Jazz Bar
- The White Swan pub, Riverside Twickenham
- Trowlock Island Residents
- Twickenham Rowing Club
- Walbrook Rowing Club
- William Curley Ltd
- Wonderlust Boutique, Teddington
- YMCA St Paul's Group (includes YMCA Hawker)
- York Pet Supplies, Teddington
Our Shared Statement of Opposition to Teddington DRA
Please complete this form, or contact us if you wish to add the name of your organisation to this list on this page.
We are much concerned and unconvinced by Thames Water’s “Teddington Direct River Abstraction” (TDRA) infrastructure proposals. These proposals include a treated sewage outfall facility near Teddington Weir, a new river abstraction facility upstream (alongside the Thames Path) and associated tunnels and pipeline shafts through public parks and nature reserves in Hounslow, Twickenham, and Ham Lands.
We understand the need to plan for the challenges of climate change and population growth in terms of water provision but are unconvinced that Thames Water has considered all possible alternative options, unconvinced that this scheme is best value for money, and we note Thames Water’s failure to adequately maintain and invest in its pipe network and supply infrastructure.
The proposed scheme will destroy protected local habitats and degrade the water environment. Tunnelling, shaft-sinking and construction sites will cause damage and destruction to acres of local nature reserve and parkland. Discharge into the Thames’ summer flows will threaten life in the aquatic ecosystem and impact thousands of recreational river users of this part of the Thames, including water sports clubs, open-water swimmers and anglers.
All this at the very time we should be looking to protect and enhance our open spaces and the Arcadian character of the Thames landscape that protect the people of London from the damage caused by pollution and climate change. The TDRA proposal is made without any recognition of the physical and mental health, social and recreational benefits to people these natural features bring
Thus far Thames Water’s engagement with the community has been unacceptably weak. Thames Water has chosen to communicate only what it wants the public to hear. Many fair and reasonable questions have gone unanswered, and many key communities and residents have not been informed of the true nature of this scheme. The level of transparency from Thames Water is disappointing, and unacceptable.
Thames Water has enormous resources. It can plan and execute many different solutions over a timescale stretching out to 2075. We are calling on them to use those resources wisely, to be a leading light in delivering water services to customers, engaging with communities, and protecting the environment in a way consistent with their stated policies. We should rightfully expect that from the largest water utility in the country.
Proposed by Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR)
*Originally called Save Ham Lands & River, this campaign has now expanded to include the entire community that would be affected by the TDRA.