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\nThe South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) – now renamed the White Horse Reservoir rather than the Abingdon Reservoir – is currently the subject of a Statutory Consultation. Yesterday there was a display in the Guildhall in Abingdon given by Thames Water, working with Affinity Water.<\/p>\n
The Roysse Room, featured models of the reservoir and embankments, and a 3D ‘drive-round’ video.
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\nInformation boards were set up in the Magistrates Court.
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\nThere were more design documents and appendices for those who need more details.<\/p>\n
The large reservoir proposed near Abingdon has been progressing through the national RAPID \u201cGate\u201d process, which reviews major water-resource schemes at 5 gateway stages to ensure the scheme is viable and affordable and wanted at each gateway before progressing.<\/p>\n
At Gate 1 in 2021, the project was confirmed as technically feasible as a concept.<\/p>\n
By Gate 2 in 2022, Thames Water had fixed the preferred size at 150 million m\u00b3 and estimated the delivery cost to about \u00a32.2 billion (Ofwat SESRO Case Study<\/a>).<\/p>\n Now at Gate 3 (2024\u201325), after detailed site and engineering work, the projected cost has risen sharply. The consultation documents suggest a range of \u00a35.5\u2013\u00a37.5 billion. (It will be paid for by customers of the water companies over about 100 years.)<\/p>\n This led Vale of White Horse District Council in October 2024 to warn of ‘spiralling costs’ and call for a rethink, questioning whether such an expensive scheme is the best long-term solution for the region\u2019s water supply (VWHDC statement<\/a>). The consultation materials are available online at SESRO statutory consultation 2025<\/a>. The consultation runs to 13th January 2026. <\/p>\n
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\nInside the Guildhall, the case was being put for the reservoir. Outside, a representative of GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development) handed out summaries of the case against.
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\nNew GARD objections, alongside long-standing environmental and community concerns, involve the escalation in cost and the expanding size of the scheme. The reservoir area now requires 38 km\u00b2 of land – not only for the reservoir itself but also to restore lost biodiversity, relocate solar farms (some will float on the reservoir), mitigate flood risks, and reroute watercourses. <\/p>\n