THOUSANDS of people have signed a petition in protest of water being transferred from Wales to drought-hit areas of England.
John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, told BBC Radio Four earlier this week that water companies in England did not want to reinvest in reservoirs and that they were unpopular with communities that did not want to see their land flooded.
He then went on to say Severn Trent and Thames Water were in talks to move water from Wales to the south of England – where drought was declared earlier this month in areas such as Devon, Cornwall, Kent and London.
Plans suggest water would be taken from United Utilities at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys and passed through pipes or a canal to the Thames basin.
GMB London – a water workers’ union - has said the plan could help deal with periodic droughts in and around the UK’s capital and is “financially viable”.
But more than 3500 people in Wales have now signed a petition against the move, saying it is another example of “London syphoning away our most valuable resource without any consultation or benefit to communities”.
The petition, launched by Welsh independence supporter Nerys Jenkins on change.org, argues the Welsh Senedd should have full control of natural resources in the country.
It states: “Work has already begun to transfer water from Wales to drought-hit areas of England, according to the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission.
For everyone in #Wales getting exercised about the Vyrnwy-Thames water transfer scheme floated the other day, “work has already begun” because it’s easier than persuading a few in SE to flood some fields. Pretty bitter pill for the lost communities of Wales. pic.twitter.com/YYy9lQQSAD
— Richard Martin (@mimosacymru) August 19, 2022
“Water is a valuable commodity and this is another example of London syphoning away our most valuable resource without any consultation or benefit to our communities.
“Wales is rich in natural resources and we cannot continue to allow our future and our wealth to be taken from us. All natural resources must benefit us the people who live in Wales.”
The petition goes on to suggest by one calculation Wales’ present export of water to England - from the Elan Valley to Birmingham and from Lake Vyrnwy and Tryweryn to Liverpool - could be worth as much as £4.5 billion a year.
Take a few seconds out to sign our petition- a few clicks can make a world of difference. Cymerwch eiliad i lofnodi ein deiseb - gall clic neu ddau wneud byd o wahaniaeth.#Annibyniaeth #Indywaleshttps://t.co/tkmsrGULrP
— YesCymru 🏴 (@YesCymru) August 25, 2022
GMB Wales is also against the plan arguing discussions need “far more detail”.
Tom Hoyles, GMB political officer for Wales, said: "Any proposals are currently at an exploratory phase and are not official union policy.
“GMB Wales believes discussions on this matter need far more detail as to how the infrastructure would be developed, how it would affect our workers on the ground and how the water would be paid for.”
The National Infrastructure Commission carries out in-depth studies into the UK’s major infrastructure needs and makes recommendations to the UK Government.
Armitt said water companies were looking at having “more water in the supply side by building more reservoir capacity, or in addition, providing a water transfer scheme so you transport water from where you’ve got a surplus in the country to the areas where you are likely to have a shortage”.
