am very pleased that Thames Water Utilities has agreed to undertake a full catchment study of the Oxford sewerage system which will lead to improvements.

Agreement followed a meeting I called earlier this year as chairman of the city council’s scrutiny committee sewage flooding panel.

TWU has failed to recognise the serious sewage flooding problems in the city until now.

The study will be carried out by consultants appointed by TWU. They will identify pressure/problem points in the system and bring forward suggestions for dealing with overflows and blockages. Of course, the solutions will cost money and charges will ultimately fall on householders. Had water utilities not been privatised under the Thatcher programme in the 80s many hundred millions could have been directed into infrastructure investment rather than into the pockets of investors since that time. On a related note, Cllr Mick Haines (October 9) welcomes my work in helping this achievement but he was among those who strongly objected to the sewage flooding alleviation system that I forced via OFWAT in the 90s in New Marston Rec and Court Place Farm.

Cllr Roy Darke

Edgeway Road

Oxford

Today’s letters

 

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