Local Tory Council at odds with their own Mayor over need for Super Sewer (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

Local Tory Council at odds with their own Mayor over need for Super Sewer

November 20, 2008 12:00 PM
Originally published by Merlene Emerson - Your First Choice for London

Furnival Gardens Merlene Emerson was one of over 300 who had attended the meeting on 17 November at the H&F Townhall on the Super Sewer.

Interviewed the next morning by the Chronicle, Merlene said:

"I was particularly pleased to hear from Richard Aylard of Thames Water that Ravenscourt Park had never been considered by them to be a site for any bore-hole drilling nor any super sewer work. Furthermore that Furnival Gardens is in fact too small a site to be considered for any major works. There seems to have been some misinformation on the subject."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson had expressed support for the tunnel in answer to questions from Mike Tuffrey (Lib Dem Assembly Member) on 18 June and Sept 2008 and reaffirmed his commitment to see the tideway tunnel built. He has been put on record as saying:

"I do not wish to see untreated sewage going in to our city's proud and normally clean river and I cannot think that anyone would really wish to see such a situation continue."

Merlene said "I would like to see our Councillors work co-operatively with Thames Water and the Environmental Agency to ensure that any work (including exploratory work) is planned and executed in a way that minimises loss of amenity to our residents in Hammersmith.

Merlene concluded: "What is important is that where residents have gone to the Council with complaints such as flooding, the Council does not repeatedly deflect the blame onto Thames Water or scare-monger about the EU, our parks being dug up, and so on. The Council must put residents first by offering real assistance and long term solutions, not a spin operation that has been unable to persuade their own Mayor."