The report of the Examination in Public into the South East Plan was published on 29 August. A summary report provided by South East England Regional Assembly says:

"The Panel concludes that, assuming a new supply is provided (through an Upper Thames Reservoir), this should have no impact on housing distribution… The South East Plan should identify specific reservoir schemes to provide greater certainty over their need and provide a firmer steer to planning authorities to facilitate the delivery."

To decode this, the Inspectors are saying that the reservoir is needed, that it should become a specific commitment in the South East Plan, and that it should be the Upper Thames Reservoir. This cuts directly across the work being conducted by the Environment Agency to assess the need for water and whether the reservoir is the right solution.

Speaking for CPRE Oxfordshire, Andy Boddington said: "The Inspectors seem to have leapt to the conclusion that a reservoir must be built in Oxfordshire. It should be for the Environment Agency to decide on the best solutions for our water needs, and they are in the process of assessing all the evidence. It is pointless for the South East Plan to include a specific commitment to the Abingdon reservoir until that work is complete."

The Environment Agency has told Thames Water to prepare a Water Resource Management Plan. Only when this is complete can the case for a reservoir be made. That is why the project was delayed by two years but perhaps it is all up in the air.

Further Information

• Abingdon Herald: Reservoir opponents upset by inspectors' verdict. 30 August 2007.
• Upper Thames Reservoir
• South East Plan