Breaking news: Radley Lakes saved (From Oxford Mail)

Breaking news: Radley Lakes saved

9:45am Wednesday 17th December 2008 in

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Coal ash will no longer be dumped at a popular beauty spot near Abingdon marking the end of a three year battle to save Radley Lakes.

Thrupp Lake was granted a lifeline this morning as RWE npower, owners of Didcot Power Station, confirmed a deal had been struck with the Waste Recycling Group, which will now use the pulverised fuel ash for engineering works at its site in Sutton Courtenay.

A spokesman for energy firm said: “We are announcing a deal with WRG to send 900,000 tonnes of coal ash from the station to WRG which they will use for engineering works. This is because the landfill site was granted a life extension by planners earlier this year. This will take care of ash disposal for the remaining life-span of the power station.

“It means that we wont be using Radley Lakes for ash disposal at all ever.”

The spokesman said the company was looking to make the Thrupp Lake available to the local community. And the company also wants to upgrade and restore two adjacent lakes H and I. It also said the deal will mean new opportunities for nature conservation.

It said it was also looking at gifting Thrupp Lake to the local community, managed by a partnership including a wildlife organisation.