Deptford's Heart Campaign present petition to Thames Water

On Saturday morning (November 19th), Liberty Mosse from Don't Dump On Deptford's Heart campaign presented a petition totally nearly 850 signatures to Nick Tennant, Communications Manager for Thames Tunnel. This was the third and final day of their consultation drop-in at Creekside Discovery Centre, which, according to Thames Tunnel, had over 130 visitors.

The petition objects to the proposed use of land in Deptford Church Street as a construction site to intercept the Deptford Storm Relief tunnel.

Also at the Drop-in on Saturday, Crossfields resident Jim Kirk grilled Thames Tunnel reps and consulted the full version of the Preliminary Environmental Report, only part of which can be found online. Jim writes:  

"I was looking for figures about the impact of noise and vibration on Farrer House, which was mentioned, with Congers House, on page 103 of this large "reference only" document. It stated that Farrer House had five storeys. It actually has four. In tables on subsequent pages containing the figures I wanted, Farrer House is not even mentioned although Congers House is. It seems therefore that despite being just as close to the proposed site as Congers House and the (storm relief) tunnel itself passing under its back lawn, the effects of noise and vibration on Farrer House have not even been considered or recorded in this document. I pointed all this out to the Thames Water people there and they promised to do something about it. I told them that as this document firstly attributed a non-existent extra floor to Farrer House and subsequently ignored its existence altogether I had some justified doubts about its general accuracy."

Jim would also like to see any Cost Benefit analyses of the Borthwick Wharf and Deptford Church Street sites so that he might evaluate their data and conclusions, but has yet to be furnished with the details.

Those who missed the consultation can find out more by downloading the relevant documents from the Thames Tunnel website – not only about the site on Deptford Church Street, but also the site at Greenwich Pumping Station, just the other side of the Ha'Penny Hatch (work on which will last over five years). At times during the latter's construction, work would be continuous, and most of the materials to and from the site will move via Norman Road. But it appears the footpath, whilst being diverted, will remain available to use.