GARD Newsletter for parishes – September 2025
With the latest developments (including the spiralling costs – see below, and having lost the Judicial Review), GARD must campaign hard now, researching and planning to contest the Development Consent Order.
Published: 20 August 2025
GARD Newsletter for parishes – September 2025
- Help GARD with Fundraising
With the latest developments (including the spiralling costs – see below, and having lost the Judicial Review), GARD must campaign hard now, researching and planning to contest the Development Consent Order.
ACTION: Please assist us with money to do this. Just one example, to commission a report from our consultant on Thames Water’s submission to RAPID (delivered August 15th, in which the cost increases were revealed) will cost us £10,000. Please go to our website to donate
Group Against Reservoir Development | GARD
- Reservoir costs rise to £7.5 billion
Thames Water reported this week that its estimated costs for the reservoir have risen from £2.2bn up to as much as £7.5bn.
The reservoir has been promoted over other schemes as offering customers ‘best value’. In a submission to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) even as recently as last October, Thames Water maintained that its cost assessment was “robust”.
Dr Derek Stork, GARD chair says: “We predicted this would happen, but even I am astonished by the increase to £7.5bn. Thames Water must have known 10 months ago when it responded to a Defra request for more financial details that its costs had risen steeply. Moreover, Thames must also have been informed of the rising costs when it defended the civil action this summer brought by SaferWaterS and the countryside charity CPRE.
These revelations make us at GARD even more determined to continue to hold Thames to account, to ensure that it is open and transparent about its plans, and to encourage it and the government to look at the alternatives.”
ACTION: Write to your MP and your Councillors. The Leader of the VWHDC has issued a statement opposing the planned reservoir, shocked at the cost rise. OCC is in supportive talks with GARD. Our District Councillor Sally Povolotsky has issued a statement. We are encouraging all Parish Councils to voice their opposition – or, even better – to join forces to voice their collective opposition. Details and emails are on our website: Group Against Reservoir Development | GARD
JOIN GARD TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
Derek Stork