Stop Thames Water’s costly mega-reservoir – fix the leaks!

Thames Water is preparing to apply for planning permission for the White Horse Reservoir, likely in November 2026. It does not yet have this permission.
GARD is continuing to oppose the Reservoir and will present evidence to the Planning Inspectorate to demonstrate why Thames Water’s plan will cause harm to people and the environment. GARD continues to request a new and detailed assessment of the best-value project between the proposed Reservoir and the alternative, the Severn Thames Transfer.

We are still collecting signatures, so please spread the word to your family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and acquaintances.

MPs call for government to halt SESRO plans over cost, flood risk and safety

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZwxZ7CSJ2/

Consultation deadline extended to 23rd Jan. Email [email protected]

Final consultation closes 13 January: £7bn mega-reservoir still unproven – your voice matters

Last chance to respond: Thames Water’s largest-ever reservoir faces unresolved risks. Regulators admit Thames Water have failed to prove it is the best value option.

For more information and how to respond to the consutlation please see https://groupagainstreservoirdevelopment.org/2025/11/12/final-consultation-now-open-please-respond/

Oxford County Council passes unanimously motion on emergency drawdown
Reservoirs like the proposed reservoir near Abingdon are not just benign boating lakes. A massive above-ground embanked reservoir of this size (six times the volume of any other embanked reservoir) carries unique risks. The lack of serious design effort on proper reservoir engineering and safety by Thames Water, while devoting its efforts to virtual-reality tours of proposed leisure facilities, is simply unacceptable.
For more details please see https://groupagainstreservoirdevelopment.org/2025/12/09/oxford-county-council-debate-reservoir-emergency-drawdown/

Andy Cooke, Water Champion for the Vale of the White Horse has published a series of articles which take a deep dive into the controversy surrounding the Abingdon Reservoir proposals. He writes 'Thames Water keep telling people that SESRO is essential, and we have no other options. And people keep printing that with minimal questions and challenge. But, we certainly do have options...'
SESRO is the 'slowest, hardest, least effective, and most expensive option.'
To read more see:
https://oxfordclarion.uk/abingdon-reservoir-is-there-an-alternative/
https://oxfordclarion.uk/abingdon-reservoir-what-are-the-risks/
https://oxfordclarion.uk/abingdon-reservoir-how-much-will-it-cost/

We've launched a new website!
https://groupagainstreservoirdevelopment.org
Your toolkit for fast, clear, and expert-backed facts that challenge the spin.

💥 Know someone who thinks all reservoirs must be good? Send them our way

This week, the Secretary of State’s refusal to allow public scrutiny thus far into Thames Water's proposed mega-reservoir is being challenged in court by SAFERWaterS and CPRE.

This Judicial Review on the 25th and 26th June is about more than a mega- reservoir. It’s about democratic accountability. It’s about challenging a process that has ignored independent expert warnings and shut out scrutiny.

Join GARD for an information session hosted by the Abingdon Carbon cutters Wednesday 28th May 7.30pm. Abingdon Baptist Church, 35 Ock Street.

Join us for online information sessions on the 1st, 7th and 8th May 2025. Use the link below or Google Abingdon Reservoir zoom meetings.

https://www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk/2025%20Zoom%20Meetings.html

The campaign continues. In spite of DEFRA Secretary Steve Reed’s decision in August 2024 to ‘nod through’ the Thames Water plan (including the huge SESRO Reservoir project at the (un-consulted) size of 150 Billion litres, the Abingdon (SESRO) reservoir still has to go through further approvals – culminating in a Development Consent Order (DCO) hearing in 2027.

In the meantime, GARD’s sister company ‘SAFERWaterS’ and CPRE have launched a claim in the High Court for a Judicial Review into the Government’s decision to proceed with Thames Water’s plans for the Abingdon Reservoir without a Public Inquiry. The High Court Judge has ruled that our claim is 'significant' and a Judical Review hearing has been scheduled for 25th and 26th June 2025.

The wildlife and 7sq km of Oxfordshire Countryside Thames Water plan to demolish.

Wildlife photographer Simon Booker explored the area at risk with ecologist Julian Parfitt recording images of what is threatened, naming it 'Diluvium', the Latin for flood.

✖️53 miles of hedgerows and trees,

✖️36 miles of watercourses,

✖️over 200 ancient and veteran trees.

✖️In total 7sq km of farmland and woodland

✖️with irreplaceable loss of habitat for a diverse range of wildlife including rare species of bats and birds.

Thames Water are planning to make the monstrous Abingdon mega reservoir even bigger with even less space for environmental mitigation.

Is this necessaryThere are better, less destructive and more sustainable ways to ensure water security.

Https://youtu.be/6fcnuNwtTaA