Help save Nunhead reservoir!

[sunshine_m]

Just spotted this petition on 38 degrees to save (well, permit legal public use of) Nunhead reservoir - loved my picnics there and was a great spot to see the London skyline, please sign up:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-nunhead-reservoir?bucket=blast

[Duvaller]

I am with you whole-heartedly.

Nunhead reservoir is owned by Thames Water which is actually owned by RWE AG, Rheinisch-Westf?lisches Elektrizit?tswerk a German utility company that pays no tax in the UK.

They are just like Google, Apple, Amazon and Ebay etc who have been registering their profits in low tax off shore jurisdictions. They pay no tax in the UK.

They can be expected to develop the site purely to their commercial advantage- on a tax free basis.

Please do what you can to save this for the local community.

[edhistory]

Is Rosanna Thompson a SSW person too?

The petition page is rather light on facts.

John K

[Otta]

More entitlement.

[Gadder]

What are you saving it from exactly?

[monkeylite]

TW used to turn a blind eye until more people started coming and creating a huge mess, blasting loud music and partying through the night disturbing local residents, and even creating bonfires. I miss my time going up the reservoir, but can understand why TW was forced to do what they did.

[dc]

Duvaller Wrote:

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> Nunhead reservoir is owned by Thames Water which is actually owned by RWE AG, Rheinisch-Westf?lisches Elektrizit?tswerk a German utility company that pays no tax in the UK.

Current owners of Thames Water are Kemble Water Holdings Ltd who bought it from RWE in 2006.

[Gadder]

I ask the question again. What are we saving the reservoir from?

[DaveR]

That's rubbish - a completely incoherent and inaccurate rant.

[mikeb]

This should just be what is required to keep everyone (including customers) safe.

Although to be fair, this bit is true of lots of parts of London and elsewhere: "London is being sold off piece by piece to private owners for private interests". More London, Stratford, Paddington Basin, etc.

And on tax, Thames Water is owned (via Kemble) primarily by foreign investors (Macquarie, pension funds, but also BT's pension fund). In recent years it has paid negligible corporation tax and will pay no corporation tax for at least five years; it has paid and will continue to pay substantial dividends to its shareholders. Despite the fact that Thames has made provision in its accounts for tax deferred to future years, I strongly suspect that this will be in 15-20+ years, and maybe not even then.

[Jennys]

I am surprised given another long-running thread that this area is not already known as the Southwark Meadows or some such emotive title.

[DulwichFox]

Jennys Wrote:

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> I am surprised given another long-running thread

> that this area is not already known as the

Southwark Meadows or some such emotive title.

Icy wind of night, be gone.

This is not your domain.

In the sky a bird was heard to cry.

Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds

Belied a deathly silence that lay all around.

Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground.

See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water.

And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees,

Laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea.

In the lazy water meadow

I lay me down.

All around me,

Golden sunflakes settle on the ground,

Sorry That was Granchester Meadows.. Pink Floyd.

DulwichFox

[nxjen]

Jennys Wrote:

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> I am surprised given another long-running thread

> that this area is not already known as the

> Southwark Meadows or some such emotive title.

Interesting to compare the numbers that have signed the respective petitions. SSW have struggled to achieve just over 8000 today, a year since the petition was put online. The Open Nunhead Reservoir campaign on the other is now approaching 5,500 signatures only 16 days after being put online. The message is to keep it simple, keep it sincere and don't insult your would-be supporters' intelligence.

[Otta]

Thing is, if some teenagers go up there, get pissed and someone drowns in the reservoir. Or indeed a little kid runs off and falls in, Thames Water would immediately be held accountable by the same people that are demanding they open it up.

As is stated above, if people had been respectful when it was open (more or less) then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[edborders]

No kids are falling into Nunhead Reservoir. The reservoir is covered. You must not get out much or not be from around here.

The leader of that campaign is not a part Save Southwark Woods

If you want to help save the graves and woods of Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries please sign https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-southwark-woods

Otta Wrote:

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> Thing is, if some teenagers go up there, get

> pissed and someone drowns in the reservoir. Or

> indeed a little kid runs off and falls in

>

[Otta]

You're right, I don't get out much anymore, and I haven't been up there for years. Sure it used to be open but maybe I'm muddling memories. For all I know I'm thinking of the reservoir near my nan's place in Devon.

[edborders]

Devon? Oh you newcomers with your sense of entitlement.

Otta Wrote:

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> You're right, I don't get out much anymore, and I

> haven't been up there for years. Sure it used to

> be open but maybe I'm muddling memories. For all I

> know I'm thinking of the reservoir near my nan's

> place in Devon.

[Otta]

My nan moved to Devon from Peckham before I was born. I was born in Dulwich Hospital.

[edhistory]

Just wondering...

Which of the two Nunhead reservoirs is up for "saving"?

[jonnywalker]

When was it open to the public? lived here seven years now and can't remember it having any public access

[Saffron]

Never open to the public AFAIK, but people did use it for picnics, dog walking etc. Plenty of people used it and were respectful. A few twits ruined it for everyone else, typical. The water company replaced the old fencing, which was breeched in several well-worn places, with a new high security barrier.

The reservoir itself is completely sealed and currently in use. It's the grassy area on top that people have used in the past, so the title of this thread is a little misleading/weird. I'm disappointed to see that the petition is not better written, but at least it's not overly complicated.

The fact that the grassy area is private land covering the reservoir should not prevent it from being used as a green space that could be widely enjoyed. There is precedent for covered reservoirs being used for sporting grounds, though access may be controlled through club memberships fees or similar.

[jonnywalker]

just seen it covered on TV BBC London. Obviously a slow news day

[Saffron]

http://transpont.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/nunhead-reservoir-our-secret-place-that.html

[sunshine_m]

Camberwell & Peckham MP Harriet Harman is on the case...

http://www.harrietharman.org/harriet_harman_calls_on_thames_water_to_allow_public_into_nunhead_reservoir_open_space

[edhistory]

So, in summary, all these petitonistas are against Thames Water creating a wildlife sanctuary/refuge and protecting the habitat from Nunhead thugs.

John K