Thames Water Survey Response

8/10/2019 Thames Water Survey Response

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Email:[email protected]: Karen Buck MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk

Karen Buck MPWestminster North

ConstituencyTel. 020 8968 7999Fax. 020 8960 0150

[email protected]

November 2014

Dear Resident

Further to my previous correspondence, I have now received a full response from ThamesWater to my survey about the Maida Vale Flood Alleviation Scheme. I asked them to do fourthings:

Ensure the works are completed within the current timescales Improve their communications with local residents Provide help to those living right next to the work sites who are affected by dirt and pollution Provide compensation to the wider community in recognition of the delays and extrainconvenience.

I have copied their full responses below, but in brief they have:

Assured me that they can keep to the current timescale, with most work finishing by March2015and works in Westbourne Green finishing inApril 2015.

Recognised that there have been problems with communications and promised to do better.

Many of you said you would like to meet with the Project Team but were unable to do so as allthe meetings were in working hours. They have therefore arranged an evening meeting, on

Wednesday 19 Novemberfrom 6pm7.30pmat their site office in Westbourne Green. Iwould encourage anyone with further comments or queries to attend.

Several people also told me that you found Thames Waters system of text updatesto be auseful way to keeping informed. To sign up for this service, text MV to 80007.

Agreed to consider providing assistance with external cleaningto people living next to theworks on a case by case basis. To apply for this, [email protected] call 0800 3169800 or quoting your address and reference number CAP4/ BB106015

Agreed to offer an extra 2,500 in community contributions, over and above what had beenagreed during the planning process.
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Ensure the works are completed within the current timescales

Thames Water told me; We are concerned to hear that residents are experiencing a greater impact than theyexpected and that they feel that communication has been lacking. I would like to reassure you that we take thisvery seriously and have reviewed the findings of your survey to identify actions that we can take to improve matters

for your constituents.

We remain committed to delivering the scheme by March 2015, although it is likely that some reinstatement work

in Westbourne Green may continue into April. As you recognise in your report, work did not start in either parkuntil March 2014, which is when we were granted planning consent. This was 9 months later than hoped,however our works will take as long to complete as we originally forecast. As soon as we were aware of the delays,we wrote to residents to inform them of the change in timescales.

As a result of the planning delay, the sequencing of our work in Chippenham Road had to be altered which led toan additional month on the construction programme.

The delays in Formosa Street however have been significant. This is principally due to a redesign of the wholestructure to accommodate the large volumes of sewage during storm events. We invited all residents in FormosaStreet, Elnathan Mews and Bristol Gardens to an evening meeting at Saviours School on 9 July to explain these

delays to residents and Councillors, and to apologise for the impact we know this has had on businesses andresidents in the area.

Improve their communications with local residents

Thames Water told me; We recognise that communication at the start of this project in July 2012 could havebeen better and we are pleased to note that residents believe that this has improved. We currently use a wide rangeof methods to communicate with businesses and residents including:

Letters over 35,000 letters have now been sent Evening drop in sessions - 8 have been held

The Thames Water web site Text messages text MV80007 for free updates Project updates Newsletters Regular residents and business liaison groups run by an independent consultant Weekly site drop ins Information stall at the Westbourne Festival Open Afternoon on Saturday 13 September

We are acutely aware of the impact our work has on local businesses and we have worked closely with businessowners. Our business and residents liaison group has come up with a number of ideas to promote trade in the

area including improved signage and business banners. Where businesses have suffered from a fall in trade wehave assisted them in making loss of business claims and seeking a reduction in business rates. Substantialpayments have already been made to a number of affected businesses, and we will continue to support businesseswhere our works have resulted in a loss of profit. It is inevitable that a project of this size will have a negativeimpact on businesses and residents but we will continue to work with them to minimise this.

We are grateful for the additional input from the survey and appreciate you sharing this with us. It is clear thatour customers and your residents do not believe weve communicated sufficiently and as a result we areimplementing the following:

We will write to all residents again and ensure updates are sent at least bi-monthly

We will create signage that gives site updates, including reasons that the site is unattended
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Artists impressions of the completed parks will be included in the next project update as we approach thecompletion of the project

We would like to work with you to help publicise an additional out of hours meeting. These have notbeen well attended previously, despite letter and post card invitations. We would also appreciate your help in publicising the text message service as this appears to be a valued

service to residents.

Provide help to those living right next to the work sites

Thames Water told me; Although we have not received any complaints from customers directly about dustfrom our work sites, we recognise that dust may be affecting some customers in close proximity to our workingareas. Therefore we will consider providing assistance to clean the exterior of properties that have been affected on acase-by-case basis once the construction work is completed. Customers will need to contact us through our customer

centre on 0800 3169800 or by email to [email protected], quoting their address andreference number CAP4/ BB106015 if they have been affected by dust. Once the project is completed, we willconsider any subsequent request taking into account the period of works and the proximately of the property to thework areas.

Provide compensation to the wider community

In the first instance, Thames Water responded to this point by letting me know the communitycontribution they had already agreed to make. They said:

During the planning process you may not have been made aware we agreed to offer the following to the local

community in compensation for the temporary loss of open spaces: Additional planting and landscaping in the parks More benches and bins Re-surfacing the paths Good quality buildings to suit the environment The re-development of the Pit 25,000 for alternative sport provision, Step up to Fitness, Parkour Generations, Edutain and Kyo Bo

Shin Cycle group 500 for the hub at the Westbourne Baptist Church We have funded the stage, sound system and toilets for the Westbourne Festival.

We have also given Westminster Council 50,000 for additional improvements in Westbourne Green and83,000 for the playground in Tamplin Mews Gardens. We have no control over when and how this money isspent and we would value your input in ensuring this money is spent in accordance with your constituents wishes.

I thought this rather missed the point, as these contributions were agreed before work startedand so do not factor in the impact of the delays and the additional inconvenience these havecaused. I went back to them to lobby for more and they agreed, saying:

Turning to your second point about making a further contribution to the community, whilst we appreciate thatthis scheme is disruptive, I can assure you we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on residentswhilst we deliver this vitally important scheme to protect residents from sewer flooding. We have already made

significant contributions in recognition of the disruption being caused to the community, both through the fundsagreed as part of the planning process and through responding to community suggestions for sponsorship or


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donations. We have recently agreed to provide 200 towards banners to advertise the St Saviours SchoolChristmas Bazaar, and we are providing a raffle prize for the WECH Christmas dinner. We believe the

package of funds we have agreed is appropriate for the impact of the project and consistent with how we haveapproached similar sewer flood alleviation schemes across our region.

In light of your concerns and matters raised in your recent residents survey, we have agreed to make a goodwillcommunity contribution of up to 2500.00 to go towards local events or areas that have been directly impacted byour works. Our business and residents group will consider this at their next meeting.

This is good news. I hope that many of you will be able to make it along to the meeting, or signup for the text messaging service if you want to know more about the works in your area. I amalso pleased that help is now on offer for those worst affected by the works and that by helping

me with this survey, we have been able to secure some additional compensation for the widercommunity.

If there are any further issues you wish to raise with me, about the impact of the works or anyother matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Yours sincerely

Karen Buck MP

Documents

Thames Water Survey Response