Bazalgette Part Two - The Thames Tunnel

Crossfields tenants may be unaware that consultation is presently taking place over the proposed plans for the Thames Tunnel. This is because you pay your water rates to the council via your rent, they charge you an admin fee (you pay more than leaseholders), then they pay it to Thames Water.

So you will not have got the letter that home owners all over London have been getting inviting them to comment on or take part in the consultation process that Thames Water is conducting over the next few months about their plans to build the new sewage tunnel – finally an update to the massive achievement of civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette who was responsible for the first sewage system to be built in London after two separate cholera outbreaks (spread by contaminated water) killed more than 25,000 people. One of the first pumping stations was built in Deptford in 1864 and the entire project took another ten years...

So it is with the Thames Tunnel. It is an enormous project that is predicted to be completed in 2020, and which won't even start until 2013. Thames Water expect consultation to last two years before planning submissions are made in 2012.

Initial consultation is taking place in all areas that may be affected by the proposals. In our case, there will almost definitely be some work taking place at the Pumping Station on the other side of the Ha'Penny Hatch (number 22 on the above map), since whatever route is chosen to combat the loops in the Thames, there will need to be a feed pipe going to the main route.

I've been told this will not affect Crossfields or Creekside directly...(more likely disruptions will be east of the Creek) but if you're concerned or just want to find out more, there is a public consultation in Surrey Quays this week – apologies for the late notice, the last day of the public exhibition for this area is tomorrow:

Monday 4th - Wednesday 6th October, 10.30am - 8pm

Surrey Quays Watersports Centre, Rope Street, SE16 7SX

Come along to our Rotherhithe public exhibition to review our plans and let us know your views. Specialists from our project team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

For more information (and especially if you're a fan of engineering) go to the Thames Tunnel website:
www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk/