Not in Our Back Yard

Put 'super-sewer' entrance in Chiswick says Council

In an attempt to stop the building of the entrance shaft to a planned 'super sewer' in their borough Hammersmith and Fulham Council are urging Thames Water to site the project in Dukes Meadows in Chiswick.

The 18 mile long septic tank costing £2.5 billion would be one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken in London and the 100 foot wide entrance shaft would be one of the main points of access for construction vehicles and materials. It is anticipated that there would be eight years of disruption around the site. The aim of the project is to improve further water quality in the Thames which is still used for dumping sewage when the existing system gets overloaded.

Originally Thames Water had considered using a site near Homefields Recreation Park in Chiswick by the A4 but this was ruled out as impractical after initial studies. They have decided that a site in Hammersmith and Fulham would be the most suitable with Ravenscourt Park and Furnival Gardens being considered. Thames Water refuses to name a site and simply states ‘all options remain open’.

A Hammersmith and Fulham Council press release raises fears of falling house prices in the area should the project go ahead. They quote Stephen Kiely, branch manager of estate agent Barnard Marcus, as saying “Ravenscourt Park is surrounded on all four sides by residential housing. To build a giant super-sewer entry point there could seriously affect house prices. Who wants to live next to a massive sewer entrance for eight years?”

Hammersmith and Fulham Council's view expressed to Thames Water is that Dukes Meadow is the best possible site which they describe as a massive area of open land well away from built up areas. They describe it as 'the only answer' to the siting of the super sewer.

Hounslow Council are planning to meet with Thames Water in the next few weeks to clarify the company's plans for the project.

Environment Minister Ian Pearson said when the project was originally announced, "This tunnel is the right solution for London and for the environment. It will give us a 21st Century River Thames that we can all be proud of. This will inevitably mean some extra costs for customers, but it will deliver tangible benefits for London in the long term."

August 15, 2008