Businesses call for White Horse Reservoir to be fast-tracked for delivery

(by Karma Loveday)

The White Horse Reservoir Growth Coalition was launched last week at a Parliamentary event, to publicly back the £6.6bn reservoir and to call for it to be granted Critical National Priority status. This would put the project on a level playing field with nationally significant energy projects, helping to remove planning barriers and accelerate delivery.

The coalition unites organisations from across the South East, spanning a range of sectors including technology, engineering, infrastructure, housing, education, legal, professional services, and think tanks. Eleven members have publicly written to the prime minister urging the White Horse Reservoir be given priority status. The signatories were BusinessLDN, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, Pinsent Masons, Activate Learning Education Trust, Britain ReMade, Abingdon and Witney College, Infrastructure Matters, Arup, Peabody, Looking for Growth and Water UK.

The case included that the reservoir would unlock economic growth, create jobs and support new housing as well as providing water security for 15m people across the region, including Thames Water, Affinity Water and Southern Water customers.

The Coalition said the same priority status should be afforded to other major water infrastructure projects.