I know it's Easter and with the school holidays we all have much less time but I do need you to respond to the Afffinity Water consultation before 26 April. It does affect us because it justifies the need for the above-ground reservoir between Steventon, East Hanney and Drayton which will be contained by walls between 15 and 25 metres high.

As Affinity's supposed needs are the driver for the early construction (2025-2037), we believe it is very important for that people hear reply to this consultation and it closes on 26 April so we don’t have much time left!

The Group Against Reservoir Development (GARD) found that Affinity Water has not proven the need for the Abingdon Reservoir at any date before the late 2060s, and there is no case for its construction starting early. There are other, more flexible, and more quickly delivered solutions to the possible supply shortages in Affinity’s central zone from the mid-century onwards, if indeed these arise at all.

• They could fully utilise water from their existing connection to Anglian’s Grafham reservoir.
• They could repair more leaks - they are refusing to meet the Ofwat target of 50% reduction by 2050, only offering 40%. At a minimum, reductions should meet or exceed Ofwat targets.
• They could install more smart meters, they plan to continue to install dumb water meters long after these have been abandoned by other companies in favour of smart meters (which reduce consumption by more than 10%).
• Affinity’s own figures show it does not need our reservoir until the early 2050s, so they should not be supporting Thames Water’s plan to bring it forward.

We need everyone to respond to this consultation. Please go to http://wantageandgrove.org/reservoir.php for how to do this or go to the GARD website http://www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk/for more details or to submit your views to water.resources@defra.gsi.gov.uk with the subject: Affinity Water draft water resources management plan consultation. Please copy your email to us at WRMP.Consultation@affinitywater.co.uk the Environment Agency at: Water-Company-Plan@environment-agency.gov.uk Ofwat at: wrmp@ofwat.gsi.gov.uk and us at admin@wantageandgrove.org or post them to Water Services, Affinity Water Draft Water Resources Management Plan Consultation, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, 3rd Floor, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

And advance notice of our AGM. It will be held in the Wantage Methodist Hall off Newbury Street on 15 May at 7.30 and our speaker will be Quintin Bradley, Senior Lecturer in Planning & Housing at Leeds Beckett University. Quintin is carrying out national research with groups objecting to housing development and will explain more about his project.

If you want to look at road news yourself then go to www.roadworks.org

Thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Julie Mabberley

Campaign Manager
Wantage and Grove Campaign Group
www.wantageandgrove.org