Groups GARD and CPRE Oxfordshire are fighting approved reservoir plans. They want a review despite the go-ahead.
The Chancellor visited a factory in Eynsham. She stated new reservoirs would be built. They will be near Abingdon and Cambridge. The Oxfordshire reservoir will be southwest of Abingdon. It could produce 270 million liters daily.
The reservoir aims to supply 15 million people. It will be almost as big as Gatwick Airport. It has faced a lot of local disapproval. Nine new reservoirs are planned in total. Water companies will invest £7.9 billion. This funds infrastructure improvements, said the government.
The Chancellor said no reservoirs were built for decades. She thinks this affects water, homes, and infrastructure. Campaigners said they will keep fighting the plan. A GARD spokesman thinks it’s unneeded until after 2050.
The spokesman prefers cheaper, faster projects. He noted Reeves’ announcement changes little. The money was already proposed. It will come from higher customer bills. The money is not enough for the Abingdon project.
The Abingdon project alone could cost £7.5 billion. He wants money spent on sewage control. He also wants Thames Water to fix leaks. The reservoir project has been debated for 15 years. The Environment Secretary approved it in August.
Thames Water supports government infrastructure plans. They claim the reservoir will unlock growth. It will secure water for 15 million people. It supports new homes and other development. They aim to halve leakage by 2050.
The campaign groups will contest the decision. They want a proper examination. They criticize lack of public input. CPRE Oxfordshire said the project harms the environment. They claim mega-reservoirs cause environmental costs.
The Oxfordshire reservoir worries CPRE Oxfordshire. It would be massive and damage trees. It could threaten local wildlife. They think it will increase flood risk. It might raise groundwater levels. Tree loss would worsen this effect.