'Do we really need this?'

9:21am Friday 13th October 2006

Leader of Oxfordshire County Council Keith Mitchell says he remains to be convinced that there is a need for a new £1bn reservoir to be built between Steventon and East Hanney.

He said: "We remain to be convinced whether there there is a genuine need for the reservoir and that all the other means of supplying enough water for London have been exhausted.

"We have doubts whether building a reservoir when we lose so much water through the system is the right answer."

However, he did pledge that the county council would support locals, whatever the final decision.

A report on the scheme for a huge reservoir, with half the capacity of Lake Windermere, between Steventon and East Hanney, will go to the county council cabinet on Tuesday.

Mr Mitchell said the council would "stand up" for the people who would be most affected by the Thames Water scheme.

He said: "We are at the early stages. We'll be working hand in hand with our colleagues in the Vale of White Horse District Council.

"We will both be standing up for people in the areas that are affected and the county as a whole. That will apply at every stage of this process."

The county council will express concern that the Environment Agency is given sufficient time to examine Thames Water's analysis of the need to meet rising demands for water.

A report to the cabinet says that alternative options and sites should be looked at on their merits, adding: "For smaller reservoirs, other sites are rated similarly to the Steventon site on sustainability grounds."

The report by the head of sustainable development, Chris Cousins, says that a public debate should focus on water leakage and water efficiency as well as conservation issues.

County Hall said it would now work with the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils to identify what impact the reservoir would have.

The county council also made clear it would be monitoring the transport implications for roads, including the need to replace the Steventon to Hanney road.

Parish councils have been invited to a special meeting in Abingdon next month to tell the Vale district council what they think of plans for the reservoir.