From Ewan Larcombe

67 Lawn Close, Datchet, SL3 9LA

6/8/2008

The Thames is just a drain

I support the use of natural energy sources, but sadly the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Planning Committee voted unanimously in favour of the Romney Weir Hydropower Scheme without full consideration of all the issues.   I do not understand how these Councillors (in particular Cllr. J Grey of Datchet) who purport to represent local people can fail to have learnt from the experience of the Environment Agency’s £110m Jubilee River fiasco but then I suppose that representation changes over time, and even recent significant events such as the January 2003 flooding downstream of Windsor are quickly forgotten (except by those people directly affected).

Councillors repeatedly stated that there would be no increase in the risk of flooding either upstream or downstream as a result of installing these structures.  I do wonder what qualifications and experience allow these Councillors (and for that matter the officers) to make such judgements, and whether they even know the difference between risk and probability.

In particular, Datchet Parish Council (being immediately downstream of the proposed structures) was not consulted about this application.  After the Parish Council requested and obtained a copy of the application for consideration, I was then prohibited from putting the Datchet Parish Council view to the meeting which I found both shocking and shameful.  Whatever happened to democracy and freedom of speech and if that was not censorship, then I don’t know what is!

This scheme could well be the first of many on the Thames and other rivers, and I believe that all the issues should be properly debated and recorded at a Public Inquiry, just like the MWEFAS project.  

The RBWM has obviously decreed that the parishes downstream of Windsor are irrelevant and will become wash-lands to be flooded by the EA at the press of a button and without notice.

But be warned – the Thames is just a drain as it has been for 1,000s of years.  Any recreational or commercial benefits are a bonus.  Carry on neglecting river maintenance (for flood defence purposes) and installing new structures in the Thames at your peril!

 Ewan Larcombe