Oxfordshire County Council statement on South East Strategic Reservoir Option

We share concerns about the government’s decision to allow Thames Water to include the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) in its Water Resources Management Plan.

We believe these proposals need to face the highest levels of scrutiny and maintain that a public inquiry should be held. On 10 September 2024, as part of a council motion which was passed unanimously by members, we called for independent scrutiny and review of the scheme.

The Leader of Oxfordshire County Council has written to the Secretary of State to express our concerns about the SESRO proposal given the ambiguity of the costs and environmental and human impacts to this county.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “Securing water supplies for the people of Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley is something we as a council will do all we can to help. However, we’ve consistently argued that this reservoir isn’t the answer.

“We believe large scale water recycling in London and better overall water management would be much more effective, more resilient to future climate shocks and have a much lower climate and environmental impact. We would also like to see the water companies dramatically reduce leakage from existing water pipes to meet future needs.

“We repeat our request to the Secretary of State for an urgent meeting to ensure that the concerns of the council and our residents are properly heard and addressed.”