BUCKLAND WATER BOOSTER STATION

THAMES WATER’S HAWRIDGE PROJECT

The Environment Agency has stopped Thames Water’s licence to abstract water at Hawridge due to its adverse effect on the river Chess. The only available abstraction resource is in the Slough area, and additional network infrastructure is needed to transfer sufficient water to offset the loss at Hawridge. The new pumping station at Buckland will be required to transfer water to Dancers End waterworks. The location of the water booster station is constrained hydraulically. The water booster station is to be placed inside a wooden building which will measure 9m to the ridge line, on land adjacent to Hope Cottages, Buckland Road.

Thames Water are in the early stages of design work and have acknowledged that the current route they are looking at will take the pipeline through a conservation area, a wildlife conservation area, and close to a scheduled ancient monument.

They have confirmed that the pumping station is for clean water only. There is no dirty water involved. The pumping station is part of major new water pipeline for the Vale of Aylesbury and the final route of the pipeline is still to be confirmed. Work will not start until 2025 and since the pumping station itself will require planning permission, the public will have an input at that stage.

Buckland Parish Council asked Thames Water that engineers look at alternative sites within the parcel of land under consideration and, if technically possible, to move the station away from Hope Cottages to an area that is closer to major road infrastructure and the area it serves. They also asked Thames Water to be transparent in their planning process and to keep the Parish Council and residents informed of developments.

Thames Water have agreed to organise public consultation meetings as soon as they have the final plans in place. Buckland Parish Council will facilitate these meetings.

To reach Buckland Road the route of the pipeline crosses the Lower Icknield Way next to Inglands, passes through fields in a north westerly direction, enters the conservation area, crosses the village road, through Moat Farm, across the wildlife conservation area, skirts the Moat, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and finally turns towards College Road South near the bypass.