England, no way sorry

Greyduster, I don’t know the area, will it mean flooding farms and peoples homes ? I hope not.

My grandad worked on the Haweswater reservoir , I think that supplied Manchester. When we have had a severe drought the remains of the village can be seen.
It is,of course, very sad to lose beautiful land but at least providing water isn’t a trivial cause.
Re. The efficiency of the water companies. My father, a water engineer worked in various countries around the world ensuring that those countries got the best water supply that could be achieved. He wasn’t very impressed with the wastage of water that goes on here by the water companies or by us!
Perhaps if we all behaved as though water was a precious commodity we wouldn’t need so many reservoirs.

Annie I don’t know but reading back upthread, it may be the same scheme MOnica was referring to. If it is, perhaps she can provide an answer. If what I have read is correct, it will cover an area bigger than Heathrow Airport, so it’s impact on the surrounding area will be considerable.

The proposed reservoir that Greyduster and Monica mentioned will mean ( since the land there is flat) there will be a massive wall around it.So it will impact on the look of the countryside, although am aware that most reservoirs look fine ( like Rutland Water) and can host watersports and nature trails.
I live not far from this proposed new site, so can say that it will mean the loss of a couple of farms and some houses.
I feel very sorry for them, and the nearby village where Monica lives.

Personally, I am completely in love with our upland reservoirs. They can be places of solitude, tranquility and great beauty, but if I had my home and my community snatched out from beneath me in order to build one my view would be very different.

I used to live in Abingdon as a child. This reservoir has been under discussion for many years, it will eventually happen I guess, but people need water and you can't use the Thames!!! These things will inevitably upset some people wherever they go. Where we lived in Somerset a reservoir was put in in the 1970's which caused a lot of upset with the loss of a beautiful valley and people's homes and livelihoods! When we moved there in 1992, it had become a sailing/rowing/ canoeing venue, (no motors allowed!) a trekking centre and enjoyed fantastic wild life, so I suppose it all depends on your point of view. Personally I'd be willing to share water with anyone in the UK who needs it, and anything else come to that.

I think the difference is that within the confines of a valley, a body of water does look lovely, but not building on flat land and creating a great wall (Winter is coming! To all you GOT fans.)

lemongrove⚔️❄️?

?????

"Ilovecheese, surely you have valleys in the south, flood one"

But surely nobody is talking about flooding valleys this time are they? it was just a suggestion to use some water from Wales for the South. The suggestion has been apologised for and they said they didn't mean to upset anybody.

I don't live in the South, I live in Manchester but if we have plenty and the South doesn't have enough, then why not share our resources. Water is too precious not to be shared.

If the GMB had said ‘with the agreement of Wales’ but no they jumped in both feet and big mouths , take the water from Wales . Yes an apology only because they were informed of the devastation at Capel Celyn and the anger this caused in Wales.

How awful to erect a Great Wall , .

Good idea, Manchester sending water down to London, are there canals ?

Annie......’oooh, you are awful....but I like you’

( what was that comedian’s name? Dick something?)

But is is a good idea to share our resources isn't it?

Is it because it was a suggestion by the GMB that you seem so angry about it?

Dick Emery lemon.

I think the problem is that the population is now so large and everyone needs water, a lot of it!! You only need a hot summer and it becomes a real problem. It is difficult of course depending which side of the fence you're on. Losing your home and livelihood is devastating, as it is for all who are in the way of new developments. Equally running out of water isn't much fun either, as we discovered last winter when our pump froze and we were dry for three days relying neighbours who are on the mains! I don't know what the answer is, and the Abingdon reservoir sounds hideous!! But people need water!!

A conundrum !!

Wales has so many reservoirs but we to suffer droughts , admittedly not for some time.

Ilovecheese, it was the arrogance that annoyed me ‘the current restoration of the Cotswolds Canals should be seized as an opertunity to transfer the water from the reservoir to the Thames’

Who said it doesn’t matter , it was the arrogance , no mention of any agreement with or approval/permission of Wales. What they were saying really was ‘London needs water, Wales has plenty so we will take some of theirs .

Followed by an apology when Plaid blew a fuse and spoke of
The anger and distressed caused over Capel Celyn. The apology made me more cross, ‘we didn’t know what we were treading on.

The flooding of Capel Celyn was carried through by Liverpool taking a private members bill to parliament , by obtaining the authority Liverpool needed no planning consent from Welsh authorities so no arguments could be expressed, thirty five out of the thirty six Welsh MP’s , one abstained , was ignored . Wales fought for eight years to save the valley. Ignored. And the people told to have their dead dug up or the bodies would remain at the bottom of the reservoir. Little wonder Liverpool apologised , but took 40 years.

The statement by the GMB was a reminder of this.

And three years later Wales was again ignored following the Aberfan disaster , all we wanted was Lord Robens sacked but no. He kept his job.

It isn't Wales's water. It's the UK's water.If the mountains and the highest rainfall were where London is and if the highest population was in Wales, the water would have to be shared the other way.

If the fight against the valley flooding took eight years, those arguing were not ignored. Decided against but not ignored.

I agree with Baggs water doesn’t really belong to anyone (despite what the likes of Northumbrian water shareholders might think). It surely makes sense for reservoirs to be in places like Keilder in the North East where there is a much higher than average rainfall. A bit pointless to install/build a reservoir somewhere where there is low rainfall.

I haven't read anything about this issue but it does sound poorly handled in the first place. Do spokespersons never stop for a moment to think how it will sound to the wider public?

Regarding the effects of reservoirs on communities, is it so different from people affected by new roads or the likes of HS2? Or even the third runway at Heathrow, where I understand that an entire village is to be removed? Such matters should be handled in the most sensitive way possible, of course.

Also, Annie, a Welsh reservoir would be a nice bargaining chip for Wales. 'Do what we demand or we'll turn off the taps!'

Sue, I like that ?

Baggs, speaking out against does not mean anyone listens