Come clean on super sewer plan
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
13/08/2008
West London residents are kicking up a stink over Thames Water plans to destroy one of Hammersmith and Fulham's parks with a 100 foot wide entrance shaft for the Thames Tidal Tunnel.
Dubbed the ‘super-sewer’, the Thames Tidal Tunnel is an 18 mile long sceptic tank which Thames Water hopes will improve the river’s water quality and help them avoid paying fines for missing EU targets.
Thames Water bosses have targeted Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) as the likely starting point for the £2.5 billion tunnel, after a decade of saying it would start in Hounslow.
Furnivall Gardens and Ravenscourt Park are thought to be the most under threat, but Thames Water refuses to name a site and simply states ‘all options remain open’.
Dozens of browned off residents have written in to support the council’s campaign against the super-sewer and express dismay over the foul-play.
Councillor Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, says: “Thames Water needs to be straight with the council and straight with residents. We need them to be clear which sites they are considering - including ones not in H&F. I am pleased that so many residents have written in to support our campaign and I am confident that residents will continue to unite to stop the super-sewer ruining one of our precious open spaces.”
The strength of feeling against Thames Water’s proposals comes at the same time as a local estate agent warns that house prices could be affected.
Stephen Kiely, branch manager of popular agent Barnard Marcus, said: “Ravenscourt Park is surrounded on all four sides by residential housing. To build a giant super-sewer entry point there could seriously affect house prices. Who wants to live next to a massive sewer entrance for eight years?”
The council has told Thames Water that the tunnel entrance can only be justified in a massive area of open land well away from built up areas. In the council’s view there is no area like that in H&F so the only answer must be to put the entrance further up river, where previously intended, at Dukes Meadow or thereabouts. In addition to the entry shaft, there are also five other smaller connecting shafts planned for the borough - each of around 10 metres in diameter.
As well as being concerned over the obliteration of one of the borough’s few open spaces council officials have revealed figures which show that Thames Water customers will have to fork out an extra £200 each to pay for tunnel construction.
Cllr Botterill continues: “Driving residents in to water poverty by charging them an extra £200 to build this stink pipe is an outrage. Especially when Thames Water has freely admitted it will have little or no impact in preventing flooding or improving water quality. They are flushing residents’ money down the drain.”
The council is planning to invite Thames Water to a public meeting at the town hall later this year.
