Water firm forced to postpone works

THAMES Water has been forced to postpone works scheduled to take place in Christmas Common over fears it could have a “huge impact” on businesses.

Work to replace about 2.3km of clean water mains threatened to close the main road running the village from mid-October until early February.

The road runs between Christmas Common and Greenfield and houses the Tree Barn and the Fox and Hounds pub.

Following concerns raised by business owners and residents, Oxfordshire County Council cancelled Thames Water’s permit to carry out the works, forcing it to reschedule for the new year.

Jane Ingram, co-owner of the Tree Barn, said the proposed road closure would have had “huge” financial implications for the business, which sells thousands of Christmas trees each year and operates a seasonal shop.

She said the loss of income could put them out of business.

Mrs Ingram said: “It’s just a huge relief. Thank you to everyone who worked on our behalf to sort it. It has been a good result at the end of the day.

“We also need to thank the county council and Councillor Ben Higgins for their work and especially Watlington Parish Council, who thought to alert us in the first place, otherwise I think Thames Water would have turned up and all hell would have broken loose.”

Reiner Hecken, publican at the Fox and Hounds, said the roadworks would have been “very difficult” for the pub to cope with.

He said: “The Fox and Hounds is a destination pub — you have to drive to it. Anybody who is in this sort of business will know it’s seasonal.

“We have busy months, quiet months, then you go into a busy period again and it ends up fine. I’m paying all the bills from the money we make during the summer, and in January and February, with the money we make over the Christmas period.”

He said a postponement to January is “positive” news, adding: “I do agree that there has to be some work done to the infrastructure of Thames Water but not at that time of the year.

“We double or triple our takings over Christmas and use that to cover us for January and February when we’re usually quiet. It’s a completely different ball game if they do it in January and February.”

A spokesman for Thames Water said the works had been postponed following a meeting of stakeholders.

He added that the proposed work is an “essential upgrade”  due to the history of bursts.