Please act now, we need your help to stop the destruction of our park!
Essentially Thames Water are planning to build a ‘Super Sewer’ to tackle the problem of 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage entering the River Thames each year. To tackle the problem, they plan to build a tunnel 7.2 m in diamter and 75 m deep which will collect the untreated sewage and transfer it to their treatment plant in Beckton. One of their preferred routes is to build the tunnel under the King Edward VII Memorial Park where they will build a combined sewage overflow (CSO).
These plans to build a CSO in King Edward VII Memorial Park mean that it will have to be closed as well as the Thames pathway for upto 7 years. At the end of this, there will be a large unsightly building and a ventilation shaft which may release nasty smells occasionally. There will be constant 24 hour drilling, a lot of traffic on the The Highway as a result of the waste products, a lot of noise, compromised security of local residents etc.
What are we doing about it?
- We have formed an Action Group whose goal is to send a clear message to Thames Water – BROWNFIELD NOT GREENFIELD
- We are lobbying Tower Hamlets, our local MP, the London Authority and local MEP’s .
- We are in contact with the King Stairs Gardens protest group.
- We are writing to other interested parties such as the managers of the Thames Path, managers of the Green Flag Parks scheme and Cities for Trees.
- We have started an on-line petition stating: We, the undersigned, call on Thames Water to find an alternative site to the greenfield sites in the park, children’s playground, riverside walkway and riverfront at King Edward Park.
- We are planning to promote awareness to other park and Thames Path users via banners and other direct marketing plus leaflet drops and flyer handouts.
- We are considering legal options.
We urge everyone to please sign our online petition right away. This will help us to show Thames Water we will not tolerate destruction of the park in order to build the ‘super sewer’.
Further Links
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Rotherhithe pupils have their say at City Hall
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Whats in Wapping
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Thames Tunnel Website
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Thames Water works will deface local gem (article from London Bangla)
