Vale Lib Dems Call For A 'Fair Fight' Over Reservoir

12.04.12pm GMT Thu 4th Dec 2008

Drayton Councillor Richard Webber has called for proper funding for all sides in any future consultation over Thames Water's plans for a huge reservoir to the south west of the village. Cllr Webber will be attending a meeting being held in Drayton this evening with local MP Ed Vaizey, the Environment Agency and GARD (Group Against the Reservoir).

The Vale has been widely commended for its robust response to the Thames Water 'Draft Water Resources Management Plan', in which the company seeks to justify the need for a massive new reservoir in the district. The Council produced a detailed analysis which raised key questions, including over Thames Water's projections for future water needs for residents in the region. The Vale team's findings were largely echoed by the Environment Agency itself.

Cllr Webber has called for more funding to be given to the Vale to allow it to continue to act in the best interests of residents over this issue. He said: "The Vale has already incurred significant costs in preparing its excellent response to Thames Water's submission - a cost that has to be taken out of the Council's modest resources.

"More importantly, the outcome of a possible future public enquiry, which our MP has requested in Parliament, may depend largely on the arguments put forward by Thames Water's QC. Their services will be paid for out of the £20m fund the government and OFWAT have agreed can be raised from Thames Water's customers via their future Water bills, whereas an opposing QC will need to be paid from whatever funds groups, such as GARD, can raise in voluntary contributions from supporters. That is outrageously unfair, and it will have the bizarre result that some residents will be paying for both sides of an argument.

"We need proper funding from the government to ensure that the concerns of residents in Drayton and across the south east of the Vale are properly heard and taken into account, and that this monumental decision is based on a fair process that will stand up to scrutiny.

"The case for a reservoir remains far from proven."