On Wednesday 5th February a Planning Inspectorate meeting was held at the Deptford Lounge to discuss Thames Water’s plans to disrupt Deptford Church Street. The meeting was very well attended and I am pleased that the Planning Inspectorate has been holding these extra meetings. I hope this means that they are listening closely to our objections.

I really cannot see how Thames Water can believe that Deptford Church Street should be its preferred site. Small businesses already struggle to survive in this area and would be bound to suffer from further disruption, as would the pupils at St Joseph’s Primary School. The plan to close lanes on Deptford Church Street would also have a hugely negative impact on an area already heavily congested and suffering environmental overload.

You can read a transcript of the speech I made to the meeting here.

Those of you who object to these plans might be interested in joining the Don’t Dump on Deptford’s Heart campaign. 

On March 27th Thames Water had its development consent application for the Thames Tunnel project accepted by the Planning Inspectorate.

The application is now available for public scrutiny via the Planning Inspectorate website.  Interested parties are being encouraged to register and submit representations between now and May 28th.

I have recently submitted my own representations, which you can view in full here.    

Today I condemned Thames Water’s decision to recommend Deptford Church Street as their preferred site as part of the Thames Tunnel Project.

I am extremely angry about this decision. The site is next to a school, a grade I listed building and a great number of shops and homes in the heart of Deptford. The plans also involve closing two lanes on Deptford Church Street during the works; the street is already extremely busy and was recently the scene of a tragic fatality.   

It is a disastrous decision by Thames Water.

Deptford Church Street was not part of Thames Water’s original plans; it was only introduced by Thames Water after Greenwich residents objected to the original plan to use Borthwick Wharf.

Thames Water say that they have listened, but they have obviously not heard us. They are dumping on Deptford and I and the local community will seek to do all we can to get them to change their decision.

I have immediately written to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, asking him to stand by his election pledge to oppose the choice of Deptford Church Street.    

Related press:
Controversial Super Sewer Set for Deptford (News Shopper 17/05/12)