A COUNCIL boss insisted he remains on residents' side as controversial plans to build a reservoir rumble on.

Vale of White Horse District Council earmarked a huge lump of land last week for Thames Water's reservoir near Abingdon, but its leader Matthew Barber denied speculation that the authority backed the unpopular project.

He said: "Our position remains unchanged. Thames Water is still making a case for the reservoir but we are still opposed to it."

His reassurance comes after the council saved land between Drayton, Steventon and East Hanney to protect the potential future of an Upper Thames Reservoir, which Thames Water has suggested to meet water demands in London.

Mr Barber said the council was advised by a planning inspector to reserve the land in part two of its Local Plan, which sets out a vision for the district.

The draft document also outlines land for infrastructure and housing including a 'garden village' of 1,200 homes at Dalton Barracks.

Thames Water first suggested the site for the 'Abingdon Reservoir' in the 1970s and put forward £1bn plans to build it decades later, but the Government rejected it during a 2010 public enquiry.

The council was among objectors that put forward evidence against the reservoir, which resurfaced in 2014 when Thames Water announced it was still investigating the scheme.

Campaigning group GARD has battled the reservoir for decades and continues to carry out its own analysis, as it prepares for round two next year.

Mr Barber said: "We have to be careful about campaigning as we are still the local planning authority. I have met up with members of GARD in the past few weeks - it's a case of discussing tactics."

The plan saves a large parcel of land for the reservoir itself plus room for roads and 'flood risk management'.

The rejected reservoir was designed to be built from the ground upwards rather than into the ground, to hold up to 100 million cubic metres of water across 1,400 hectares of land.

GARD member Derek Stork, who took over from Nick Thompson as chairman last year, said the group 'remains totally opposed' to the project.

The Steventon resident said: "We are opposed to any large reservoir in Oxfordshire, as there are many more alternative water sources which are more efficient, less costly for the consumer and the environment, and more secure against drought."

In October he wrote to parish councils warning of a 'looming battle' against the reservoir and pledged to push for another public enquiry if Thames Water perseveres.

GARD members are due to meet with Thames Water tomorrow to discuss the project, but the water provider is not due to make a final decision until a report next year.