{"id":523469,"date":"2025-06-25T12:31:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T11:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=523469"},"modified":"2025-06-25T12:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T11:31:15","slug":"judicial-review-into-2-2bn-abingdon-reservoir-due-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/contractors\/costain\/judicial-review-into-2-2bn-abingdon-reservoir-due-to-start-25-06-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Judicial review into \u00a32.2bn Abingdon reservoir due to start"},"content":{"rendered":"

A judicial review into a \u00a32.2bn reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is due to start today.<\/p>\n

Campaigners have launched legal action at the High Court against Thames Water\u2019s South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO), which is due to create one of the UK\u2019s largest reservoirs.<\/p>\n

Charity CPRE Oxfordshire and campaign group Safer Waters have long campaigned against the reservoir, arguing it is \u201ccompletely unnecessary [and] will devastate local ecology and livelihoods\u201d. They also say the plans will increase the risk of flooding in the local area.<\/p>\n

Thames Water and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) argue the reservoir, which would cover an area the size of Gatwick Airport, is needed to safeguard water supply for 15 million people in the South East.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the water company said the UK faced \u201csignificant water shortages by 2050, including a one billion litre shortfall per day for our customers\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, Safer Waters director Derek Stork said the project was a \u201cscandalous misuse of public money\u201d, and said Thames Water should be \u201cinvesting in essential sewage clean-up and modern water reuse systems\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lisa Warne, director of CPRE Oxfordshire, said the government \u201cshould prioritise leakage reduction, water reuse and efficiency, not this vanity reservoir\u201d.<\/p>\n

Thames Water said it remained confident in its plan.<\/p>\n

If approved, the reservoir could hold 150 million cubic metres of water. SESRO would serve three water authorities \u2013 Thames Water, Affinity Water and Southern Water.<\/p>\n

Defra has now been called to a two-day judicial review over environment secretary Steve Reed\u2019s decision to accept Thames Water\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n

Defra said it could not comment on ongoing legal matters, but added: \u201cWithout action some parts of the country could run out of water by 2030 and that\u2019s why \u00a3104bn is being invested to improve water infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thames Water expects to start procuring for a main contractor in October after it formally launched market engagement over its plans to build the reservoir in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reservoir has been designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and Thames Water said it would be operational by 2040.<\/p>\n

Costain \u2013 the\u00a016th<\/sup>\u00a0biggest contractor in the UK<\/a> \u2013 was appointed as principal contractor on a set of clay compaction trials<\/a>\u00a0at SESRO in July 2024. A joint venture of Arup and Binnies is also involved in the project.<\/p>\n

Costain declined to comment on the proceedings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A judicial review into a \u00a32.2bn reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is due to start today. Campaigners have launched legal action at the High Court against Thames Water\u2019s South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO), which is due to create one of the UK\u2019s largest reservoirs. Charity CPRE Oxfordshire and campaign group Safer Waters have long campaigned …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90643,"featured_media":512043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[532],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-523469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-costain"],"yoast_head":"\nJudicial review into \u00a32.2bn Abingdon reservoir due to start | Construction News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A judicial review into a \u00a32.2bn reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is due to start today. 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