Issue - meetings

Over the last 2 years the South East Strategic Reservoir (SESRO) has been placed by Thames Water into the Water Resource South East Strategy (WRSE), the new Thames Water Management Plan (TWMP) and is also entered into a National Infrastructure evaluation called Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) run by OFWAT.

This Council under administrations involving Conservative, Labour & Cooperative, Liberal Democrat and Green parties has consistently stood with the local residents expressing our concerns and publicly stating our position against the SESRO scheme presented for consultation.

This Council notes that

1. Public consultations carried out in the last 18 months were for a scheme design 50% smaller than that now being taken to the Secretary of State for approval.

2. Vale of White Horse District Council also stands against the designs on the table for SESRO as the local planning authority

3. Despite thousands of responses by Oxfordshire residents on SESRO, none of the issues presented have been addressed comprehensively.

This Council resolves to

1. Ask the Leader to request an all party meeting with the current Secretary of State alongside GARD, CPRE and Political leaders in this chamber and the County Councillors in the proposed zone of development.

2. Ask the Leader request that OFWAT pause SESRO in the RAPID scheme given flaws in the data already highlighted by this Council to Thames Water until formal questions are answered.

3. Investigate a Water Resource Task and Finish CAG option and create a Water Resource Champion.

The motion was carried with 51 in favour; 0 against and 0 abstentions.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Sally Povolotsky and seconded by Councillor Ian Snowdon.

An amendment, listed in the Schedule of Business, had been proposed by Councillor Duncan Enright but was withdrawn.

Following debate, the motion was carried with 51 votes in favour, 0 against and 0 abstentions.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

Over the last 2 years the South East Strategic Reservoir (SESRO) has been placed by Thames Water into the Water Resource South East Strategy (WRSE), the new Thames Water Management Plan (TWMP) and is also entered into a National Infrastructure evaluation called Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) run by OFWAT.

This Council under administrations involving Conservative, Labour & Cooperative, Liberal Democrat and Green parties has consistently stood with the local residents expressing our concerns and publicly stating our position against the SESRO scheme presented for consultation.

This Council notes that

1. Public consultations carried out in the last 18 months were for a scheme design 50%

smaller than that now being taken to the Secretary of State for approval.

2. Vale of White Horse District Council also stands against the designs on the table for SESRO as the local planning authority

3. Despite thousands of responses by Oxfordshire residents on SESRO, none of the

issues presented have been addressed comprehensively.

This Council resolves to

1. Ask the Leader to request an all party meeting with the current Secretary of State alongside GARD, CPRE and Political leaders in this chamber and the County Councillors in the proposed zone of development.

2. Ask the Leader request that OFWAT pause SESRO in the RAPID scheme given flaws in the data already highlighted by this Council to Thames Water until formal questions are answered.

3. Investigate a Water Resource Task and Finish CAG option and create a Water Resource Champion.