Reservoirs. We gave up building them in the early 1990s. Great to hear @Keir_Starmer raise on of my favourite symbols of Britain's low investment disease - here's the relevant section of Great Britain? www.penguin.co.uk/books/461720... - ThreadSky

torstenbell.bsky.social • 194 days ago

Reservoirs. We gave up building them in the early 1990s. Great to hear @Keir_Starmer raise on of my favourite symbols of Britain's low investment disease - here's the relevant section of Great Britain? https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461720/great-britain-by-bell-torsten/9781847928146

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gedw23.bsky.social•193 days ago

Cofiwch Dryweryn

katiecannon.bsky.social•194 days ago

1850s: Gold standard

Now: Gilts are just an interest bearing savings account at BofE

mtaulty.bsky.social•193 days ago

I'm assuming that he's announced a plan to actually build some?

johnactuary.bsky.social•194 days ago

I seem to recall one in Oxfordshire proposed by Thames Water in the 1990s was fiercely objected to until it gave up or was refused permission (not sure which).

Maybe if the planning process of big infrastructure schemes was easier and cheaper?

mattfromfarnham.bsky.social•193 days ago

These days wouldn't such nationally important schemes be dealt with by the National Infrastructure Commision ? Not councils ?

johnactuary.bsky.social•193 days ago

Doesn’t mean things move any more quickly or successfully though. I could bore you with the saga of the reopening (or not more to the point) of the Portishead railway which has gone through the national infrastructure process as a great example.

mattfromfarnham.bsky.social•193 days ago

I've read quite a lot about Portishead to Bristol. A particularly good example of our failure to deliver straightforward projects even with universal support from all parties.

lizlinnard.bsky.social•194 days ago

Steventon. It was the great talking point when I moved here 30 years ago. Just never happened.

footfarmer.bsky.social•194 days ago

Hmm I wonder when water companies were privatised and the investment for infrastructure went to shareholders… ?

extranero.bsky.social•194 days ago

Seems Elon has a spare hundred million.....just saying.

frankbarrylong.bsky.social•194 days ago

To be fair to the last government, there's quite a few in the planning stages, it's just being able to get on and doing it has been the challenge. It's the same problem that other infrastructure projects face in Britain (e.g. HS2), the planning system isn't fit for purpose, it's too slow & expensive

steadyasyougo.bsky.social•194 days ago

Maybe we have a bit of a nimby problem too.

frankbarrylong.bsky.social•194 days ago

Every country has that problem

thatdlh.bsky.social•194 days ago

But the planning system is essentially a set of laws and governing parties have the power to change laws.

frankbarrylong.bsky.social•194 days ago

I look forward to the changes proposed by Labour, assumable it's part of the Planning and Infrastructure bill as part of the king's speech, but no sign of it yet. Needs to come pretty soon in the new year as it's on the critical path for delivery of many projects

mattfromfarnham.bsky.social•193 days ago

Problem os whose making the decisions. Can't expect district councillors elected to protect their patch to make the difficult decisions. Electoral suicide to do so not least all 3 parties revert to nimbyism when necessary

frankbarrylong.bsky.social•193 days ago

Quite. There's a reason this has been such an intractable problem. It is a bit weird though as the UK is one of the most centralised countries in Europe, but not when it comes to planning decisions..

cathaguamia.bsky.social•194 days ago

In Wales we got fed up of English cities drowning villages and farms. Remind me where your constituency is?

hazelhatman.bsky.social•194 days ago

And rather than drowning good farmland, fixing leaks and using water-efficient toilets, showers and washing machines etc should surely be a greater priority?

olivercorlett.bsky.social•194 days ago

Also potentially useful as power storage

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