Thames Water steps back from Barn Elms

After months of concerted pressure, and more than 16,000 objections, the water company has now selected an alternative brownfield site as its first choice location for the seven year construction project.

Unlike Barn Elms, this is semi-derelict industrial land with no wildlife, no sports pitches and no vegetation to disturb.

Wandsworth Council is a member of the Save Barn Elms Alliance - a coalition of residents, councils, politicians and community groups which has vigorously opposed the use of these playing fields for such long lasting and disruptive work.

The decision was revealed today as Thames Water published a revised approach to building the £3.6bn Thames Tunnel.

The updated proposal will now be subject to a 14 week public consultation before the site selection and construction methodology are finalised.

To have your say on the new plans visit http://www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk/

Leader of Wandsworth Council Ravi Govindia has welcomed the water company's change of heart but says the campaign must continue until the scheme's planning process is complete: 

"The decision comes as a huge relief but we are not celebrating yet. There is still a long way to go before these playing fields are completely safe and we will now focus our efforts on ensuring Thames Water sticks to the alternative site.

"But I cannot let this moment pass without commending the extraordinary work of Sian Baxter and her many colleagues at Stop the Shaft. Their efforts have been instrumental in turning this situation around and they deserver the very highest recognition for all they have achieved."

Speaking on behalf of Stop the Shaft, leading campaigner Sian Baxter said: "I am extremely pleased that Thames Water has listened to the voice of thousands of people from all over London who enjoy and value this area immensely. 

"In order to ensure this decision is never overturned it's vitally important that as many people as possible respond to this second phase of consultation."

Under the revised scheme Barn Elms will be used for a much smaller construction site to connect the local sewer overflow to the new sewer tunnel. These works will be far less disruptive than the original plan and will last for just two to three years instead of the full seven.

Another six worksites are proposed across Wandsworth including a main drive shaft in east Battersea.

Cllr Govindia continues: "This enormous project will have far reaching impacts on our riverside communities. A detailed analysis of the Wandsworth based sites - and those which neighbour our borough - is now underway and we will be sharing our finding with local people in the days and weeks ahead."

Barn Elms Playing Fields is a picturesque greenfield space on Thames riverside between Putney and Barnes.

It was the most unpopular of the 23 proposed super sewer worksites having attracted the most objections during the first consultation which took place last year.

Stop the Shaft's petition against the plan now has more than now has 16,600 signatures.
 
The Save Barn Elms Alliance is a coalition of campaigners fighting to secure the future of the playing fields.

The group is not opposed to the Thames Tunnel scheme as a whole - only the selection of Barn Elms as one of the main tunnelling sites. They have pledged to continue their campaign until the playing fields are declared safe.

The full membership includes Stop the Shaft, Wandsworth and Richmond Councils, local MPs Justine Greening and Zac Goldsmith, GLA members Richard Tracey and Tony Arbour, The Putney Society and The Barnes Community Association.

Find out more and sign the Save Barn Elms petition at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/savebarnelms or http://www.stoptheshaft.org/

Notes to editors

Barn Elms attracts 10,000 visits each weekend from walkers, joggers, families, cyclists, schools and sports clubs from all over London.

The site is one of south London's busiest sporting hubs used by over 30 schools and 40 sports clubs

Around 37 per cent of the 16,600 petition signatures were from Putney and Barnes residents. The remaining 63 per cent came from people living in other parts of London or outside the city.

The playing fields are boarded by the Ranelagh Housing Estate and hundreds of residents living in these homes would have their lives blighted by seven years of round the clock construction work if the plan goes ahead.

As well as the main excavation site a giant waste transfer jetty would be built out across the Thames at Barn Elms to move excavated spoil away from the playing fields by industrial barge. This operation will cause serious difficulties for Putney's rowing and sailing clubs as well as the nearby Barn Elms Boathouse which is used heavily by novice crews. The alternative site has an existing industrial jetty in place and no new structures would be required in the river.

The playing fields sit next door to the London Wetlands Centre - a key urban wildlife site in London.

ENDS