Thames Water under fire at sewer meeting
Friday October 21, 2011
L-R: Sue Oriel (PRARA chair), Ann Rosenberg (PRARA honorary secretary) and Cllr Nick Botterill
See more pictures on our Flickr photo gallery (opens new window)
Blighting the lives of more than 1,600 Fulham residents, using less than 2 per cent of a vast open space in Barn Elms or finding another solution to cleaning up the Thames.
These are the choices facing Thames Water, according to local residents – if the water utility giant is not stopped from pressing ahead with their controversial multi-billion sewer project.
The super sewer, or Thames Tunnel as it is also known, has sparked furious protests from riverside communities from Hammersmith to Beckton.
The massive concrete tunnel is being promoted by Thames Water as the best solution to making the river cleaner despite the fact that water industry experts are lining up to say there ARE other – cheaper and greener – alternatives.
At a stormy meeting at St Mathews Church on Tuesday (Oct 18) Thames Water bosses were bombarded with a series of questions from local people who all wanted to prevent the giant sewer construction site from being dumped into Carnwath Road.
Thames Water’s Phil Stride faced the barrage in front of more than 200 angry campaigners at the question-and-answer session which was organised by the Peterborough Road & Area Residents Association (PRARA).
Carnwath Road resident David McGinty said: “There is a community here that you want to destroy, but it's not going to happen.”
Firdousi Ahmed, who also lives in Carnwath Road and would be just 50 yards from the possible construction site, said: “I am really ill and my immune system is down. I have no choice about where I live and if this site is used as a sewer construction site for seven years it will seriously affect not just me but the elderly and disabled people on the estate who also have medical conditions.”
The opponents – backed by Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council – believe Barn Elms, the other candidate to hold the shaft site, is more suitable as it is less densely populated and would have a far smaller human impact. Thames Water admits that just 2 per cent of the open land at Barn Elms would be needed – leaving 98% for recreation and leisure activities.
Lance Pierson, from Peterborough Road, said: “Thames Water’s plans for Carnwath Road are a non starter and a total disgrace. There are far better alternative sites – namely in Barn Elms – and there are also other options, other than the super sewer, that can clean up the river.”
Thames Water identified Carnwath Road as a possible sewer construction site in April, and is expected to formally name a small riverside plot as a possible site for their main super sewer drive shaft next month.
Nigel Henson, from RATS (Residents Against Thames Sewer), said: “The case has not satisfactorily been made for either the current deep tunnel concrete solution and certainly not for using Carnwath Road. RATS has put in a detailed submission to Thames Water explaining why south Fulham is not suitable.
“Thames Water now has a choice between using a densely populated residential street or a small section of a vast area of open space where almost no people will be directly affected.”
Mr Stride said there were ‘no any easy options’ when selecting construction sites for the sewer and tried to reassure residents by saying: “No decisions have been taken about construction sites. This is a genuine consultation and we are still evaluating Carnwath Road as an alternative to Barns Elms.”
Mr Stride said the second phase of Thames Water’s sewer site selection consultation would start on November 3 – just days after Lord Selborne’s Thames Tunnel Commission is due to make its final recommendations public.
The council has been fighting against the whole idea of the super sewer and against locating the main entry site works in south Fulham, within 440 yards of family homes and local schools.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Nick Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader, said: “When will Thames Water realise that no means no? Respected professors and industry experts have come forward to say there are other – cheaper and greener – ways to clean up the river. 14 million Thames Water customers face an extra £100 a year on top of their current bills for life to pay for this gold-plated scheme. Locally residents have mounted a valiant campaign, backed by the council, to show Thames Water why Carnwath Road is totally unsuitable as a sewer construction site.
“It remains the council's view that, if this grandiose vanity project is not shelved, the main construction shaft needs to be located in a large area of open space well away from homes and businesses.”
For more visit www.lbhf.gov.uk/supersewer or to sign the petition www.lbhf.gov.uk/sewerpetition (opens new window).
See more pictures on our Flickr photo gallery (opens new window)
