Super sewer 'pushed' into Chiswick

Aug 21 2008 By Jessica Thomas and Laura Walkinshaw

Dukes Meadow

Chiswick should bear the burden of Thames Water's proposed 'super sewer', neighbouring town hall chiefs claimed this week.

The utilities giant hopes the £2.5billion Thames Tidal Tunnel - a 18-mile long sceptic tank - will improve water quality in the London's main waterway and engineers are now looking for a spot to site the the tunnel's 100ft entrance.

But Hammersmith & Fulham Council has claimed two sites within its boundaries have already been earmarked and sparked anger by calling for locations in Chiswick to be reconsidered after local estate agents said placing the mouth of the sewer in Hammersmith could affect house prices.

"The council has told Thames Water that the tunnel entrance can only be justified in a massive area of open land well away from built up areas," said a spokesman.

"In the council's view there is no area like that in H&F so the only answer must be to put the entrance further up river, where previously intended, at Dukes Meadows or thereabouts," said a council spokesperson.

Thames Water has assured the Informer that no sites have yet been selected, and said the design and planning of the project is to continue for the next three years.

But Maria Kozyzosiak, development manager of Dukes Meadows trust, said: "It doesn't feel right that Hammersmith and Fulham Council are trying to push the sewer over here.

"We are just going to wait and see how things proceed."