Wednesday 25 March 2009

Vince Cable MP demands talks with Thames Water over Mogden expansion plans

Dr. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Twickenham, has asked for talks with Thames Water amid claims that residents of the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames were not consulted over the planning application to expand the plant, humiliatingly approved by Hounslow's Sustainable Development Committee recently after vital information about funding options was withheld by officers.

Dr. Cable told the Hounslow Chronicle: "After the big environmental improvements at Mogden we have been less seriously affected in the last year or so.


"I am now concerned that the good work could be undone by a massive expansion programme on which there has been minimal consultation with local residents. This is a predominantly a Hounslow issue as it is Isleworth residents which are worst affected, but there is nonetheless some anxiety in our borough."

Marianne Welsh, a resident of Whitton and a member of the Mogden Residents' Action Group (MRAG), added: "I can't understand why they want to forge ahead with this expansion without finishing what they were suppose to do, such as covering the storm tanks.

"Thames Water say there will be an odour, but it will be odourless. Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?"

Meanwhile ICG and MRAG activists are preparing for a major campaign on the Mogden issue in the very near future. Contacts are advised to keep their eyes on their mobile and e-mail Inboxes for imminent further information.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but now that Vince Cable has shown an interest in the matter, shouldn't the ICG/MRAG make contact and try to get him on board ?
Widely respected MP's of his calibre are very rare creatures and any campaign with his backing would be strengthened considerably.

Phil Andrews said...

I forgive you, but what you have stated most certainly is the obvious. MRAG has and has had for a very long time a good working relationship with Dr. Vince Cable. He understands and supports our concerns and has done a lot of work on behalf of his own residents which of course has a positive knock-on effect for ours.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad/rather surprised to learn that Dr Cable has been 'on board' for a while.
It certainly was not common knowledge and you made no reference to it in your original posting.
However, although the pong undoubtably affects many of his constituents, the source of the pong originates from outside his constituency, so I guess he cannot play a major, prominent role in any campaign.
Yes, you know what I'm going to ask next - has our favourite pin-up girl EVER said ANYTHING about the Mogden pong ?

Phil Andrews said...

I believe she had her photograph taken outside the plant sometime around 2005.

Oh, and the three New Labour candidates in Isleworth ward published a leaflet shortly before the 2006 local elections announcing that the problem had now been resolved and it was all thanks to them!

Anonymous said...

I'm told Ann Keen is now pressing for a meeting with the top brass at Thames Water?

Phil Andrews said...

Nothing that woman did would surprise me FOTW.

Navy Knave said...

So it's probably reasonable to assume that her Ladyship has NEVER said ANYTHING critical about Mogden !
Come to think of it, we seem to have heard very little from her lately on ANY subject - what's going on ?

a) Struck dumb by a severe bout of laryngitis
b) Too busy moderating/re-writing her expense claims to pass Gordon's latest sleaze probe
c) Local press no longer hanging on her every word
d) A combination of two or more of the above

Enjoy the silence, but take heed - a rat down the khazi has just told me to beware the ides of April, whatever that could mean !

Brown's going down at G20 said...

Flies on the wall giving advice ?
How ridiculous is that ?
As for rats down the khazi, fair enough Phil - rumour has it Hounslow Homes get ALL their best ideas sitting on the bog.

Phil Andrews said...

Not sure I get your drift Brown's Going Down, but thanks for your contribution anyway.

Less gullible than the SDC said...

Well would you believe it ?
Flies on the wall are talking to ME now and one's just told me about a 'protest' at Mogden later today.
A 'protest' against who or what exactly ?
Three or four weeks ago, a select panel of the borough's finest citizens, democratically elected to act in the best interests of local residents, officially approved Mogden's long vaunted and widely reviled expansion plans.
End of story surely ?
Arguments about misleading info or info being withheld are academic now, those councillors were manipulated with ridiculous ease and that's the REAL issue here !
They were apparently advised by MRAG beforehand not to make decisions about Mogden until AFTER the High Court hearing in October, now why on earth did they choose to ignore that advice ?
Similarly, if they felt that the info being presented at that meeting was in any 'dodgy', inadequate or too technical for them to comprehend, they should've called a halt to the proceedings.
Either way, they were under no obligation whatsoever to approve/reject any plans at that moment in time.
The SDC, not Mogden, are the villains, so why protest on MOGDEN's doorstep ?

Phil Andrews said...

@ Less gullible

I'm not sure it would have been much of a "protest", bearing in mind we were told after the SDC meeting that only one local resident actually cared about the expansion plans.