Key points from the speech by Cllr Steve Hamilton, of Sands End Ward, to last night's Council meeting:
- September 2008 in this chamber debated the tunnel.
- Then threatened Furnival Gardens, Carnwath Road site was not suitable.
- Opposition called for: “…campaign that put the residents need to stop Thames Water blighting our open spaces for years to come…”.
- Colleague will discuss Carnwath Road.
- Then estimated at £2.B, now >£3.6B – but that is ‘indicative 2008 price’.
- Thames Water have instructed £10B in bonds on projects – Thames Tideway Tunnel main project.
- Currently extra £65 on bills - for life not construction – but rises to £180 based on bond issues.
- Currently due to link 34 CSOs [Combined Sewage Overflows] out of 57 number intercepted drops due to costs spiralling.
- Just 5% of discharge is sewage – rest just water
Problems with the Super Sewer.
- Doesn’t eliminate overflows.
- Doesn’t stop flooding which affects so many in H&F.
- Minimal public health benefits - £3.6B = £360M to cure 15 minor ailments - £24 each!
- Minimal environmental benefits – Thames is much cleaner than when I was younger - salmon in river – one of cleanest metropolitan rivers in the world.
Need to consider alternatives:
- SUDS – Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.
- Treatment at CSOs – already TW have boats to treat on site.
- Bubblers and Skimmers - why not include tools at the worst CSOs prior to discharge.
- Inventive storage solutions – under road soakaways when roads resurfaced?
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