Proposed reservoir over canal route

Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal Trust are most concerned at a proposal of Thames Water.

This is to construct a reservoir over the line of its canal, Janet Friend reports.

Shortage of drinking water

With a shortage of drinking water looming after the need of water for the thousands of houses, flats and the like being built over its area, Thames Water wants to build on the 4.5 square mile site near Abingdon to meet the demands.

However, the site covers the route of the waterway near Abingdon, that is causing concern.

Thames Water needs to build the reservoir that it relates will provide supplies for 15 million people across the south east. It also wants to construct an underground tunnel as part of the infrastructure required to be able to lower the water level when needed.

But the Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal Trust told that if the reservoir was built, it would be on top of the canal route, and is campaigning for an open channel instead of the tunnel that would cause problems.

Emergency run-off channel

But Thames Water told that the site requires an emergency run-off channel to regulate supplies, and an underground discharge tunnel would be less of an impact on the environment and highway network, avoiding a complex crossing of the A34.

But Richard Shackleton, Chairman of the East Vale & Abingdon branch of the trust, told the water company's preferred option 'provides no benefits', whereas the alternative would provide a walkway, and a dedicated cycleway and bridges would also be built.