Is Bodiam the place for a new reservoir?

There is no way we can turn the tide back on the population and immigration effects on the South East.

So, ready? The hose pipe ban is now with us in the Southern countries after another of the driest winters on record.

While the Midland and Home counties are struggling with the planning issues of the route of High Speed 2, we must invest in the South East planning process for new infrastructure, reservoirs and pipelines.

Without the highly expensive involvement of the affected public into infrastructure schemes we can build and provide nothing.

Advocating the A21 trunk road upgrade now reveals a classic of governmental ineptitude – when the Department for Transport’s underspend of last year’s budget topped £1/2 billion!

Who is trying to kid whom? With the political will behind it actually we can find money for most all things.

If Bewl Water is considered an asset in water supply and recreation, and if the contention is that everyone should have an automatic right to a clean water supply, then this type of investment has to be part of the answer.

We are very simply not going to get the right volumes of water out of the ground.

We can review statistics and we can estimate the abstraction rates needed, but if the rain has not fallen and we are heading into a globally warmer, drier climate our water consumption will increase dramatically – not the other way about.

Where do we place new reservoirs? A much, much braver soul than me will have to argue that one!

Mind you the Rother valley used to be tidal, as I heard tell, and, speaking the unspeakable, wouldn’t Bodiam Castle look the part, overlooking a wide stretch of water, with yachting and wildlife!

Richard Tilden Smith

Church Cottages, Mountfield