THAMES SEWAGE PUMP CAMPAIGNERS LAUNCH PETITION DETAILS IN TEDDINGTON
The Teddington-based campaign against The Thames Sewage Pump will launch a government e-petition next month aimed at achieving over 100.000 signatures and stopping Thames Water’s controversial scheme.
Over 120 people crowded into the riverside Wharf restaurant tonight to hear an update from the organisers of the SOLAR (Save our Lands and River) and their plans to activate interest and form partnerships with like-minded groups along the River Thames.
One of the organisers, Ian McNuff told the group: “Thames is not interested in engaging or listening to the arguments we have, which is why we have to go for the petition.”
He said that the previous ‘postcard’ petition presented to Thames Water had attracted a total of 14.735 responses including 11.000 postcards which had been sent directly to the company’s HQ.
Mr McNuff also highlighted the recent government decision to designate part of the river on the Ham side of the river as a ‘bathing site’ which ‘ironically’ would be ‘adjacent’ to the proposed sewage scheme.
He also raised the significant publicity about the TV series on Channel Four, Dirty Business which he said would ‘enhance’ other campaigns against the treatment of water.
Mr MacNuff said the campaign ‘must batter away’ with ‘absolute persistence’ to reach the goal of 100.000 signatures. “We have to go for scale and volume and be crystal clear about this,” he said.
“We have to appeal all the way up the Thames Valley and show that if this can happen here it could happen anywhere and hope these people will support our cause.”
He emphasised that it was important to reach younger people to get their support through universities and sports groups like rowers, fishing groups, paddle boarders and boat owners as well as other water pressure groups like Surfers Against Sewers and environmental groups.
Attendees also suggested that the May elections would provide a strong platform for publicising the campaign as well approaching local celebrities like Rob Brydon and Sir David Attenborough as well as water campaigner Feargal Sharkey.
The group was informed that when the petition was up and running next month it would take supporters ‘only 90 seconds’ to register their signature of support.