Local students unveil sculpture against Thames Water's TDRA scheme at The Anglers in Teddington
Art students from Richmond College have joined Sir Steve Redgrave's recent call for Thames Water to stop plans to pump treated sewage into the River Thames.
The students' winning design, a permanent piece of art, was unveiled outside The Anglers pub in Teddington on Thursday, 27 March.
'Withering Time', which has been installed outside the pub, close to the Teddington Lock Bridge, calls for an end to Thames Water's proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme.
The TDRA scheme plans to build a river abstraction shaft upstream of Teddington Weir and to replace the abstracted water with an equal amount of recycled water from new tertiary treatment facilities located in Mogden Sewage by 2033.
Ben Walton, Manager at The Anglers, said: "As a local pub that serves the local community we have been delighted to be involved in this project.
"Given our location, so close to the river, we have a determination to see a healthy River Thames and their determination, ensuring we challenge anything, such as TDRA, that will cause long term environmental damage for local people, wildlife, and water safety."
To make the sculpture, Richmond College partnered with the local community campaign group, Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR).
Together, they have received support from over 100 local businesses and organisations, including The Anglers.
Emma Tolhurst, SOLAR Campaigner and competition coordinator , said: "Save our Lands and River is proud to celebrate our dynamic partnership between SOLAR, The Anglers, and Richmond upon Thames College.
"We have been so impressed by the passion, energy and creativity from the winning team as well as the rest of the competition entries."
'Withering Time' serves as a visual statement that encourages people to think about the changes that potentially lie ahead for the ecosystem, not least in the face of the proposed TDRA, says SOLAR's Chair, Richard James.
James said: "It highlights the importance of community-driven action in preserving local environments.
"The TDRA scheme poses serious risks to the river ecosystem, threatening the health of the water and the wellbeing of those who rely on the Thames for recreation, relaxation and mental health support."
The winning sculpture was a collaborative piece of work between college students Farhat Barmak, Kayla Sylvan-Mcdonald and Simran Thandi.
Jo Terrell, Head of Creative Arts at Richmond upon Thames College, said: "At Richmond upon Thames College we are proud of our students and the creative energy they bring.
"We were delighted to work with SOLAR and to see the range of ideas that the students created to address the critical issue of water quality.
"The winning entry will now be there for many years to come, showing everyone who passes the passionate voice of young people."
Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham and Teddington attended the unveiling on Thursday.
Speaking about the event, she told Teddington Nub News: "It was such a pleasure to meet the winners of the sculpture competition, and I was proud to see our young people standing up for our river and the environment by calling for the Teddington DRA to be scrapped."
James added: "The proposals from Thames Water to introduce millions of litres of treated effluent into the river at Teddington will affect the lives of young people for generations to come.
"The students from Richmond Upon Thames College have demonstrated not only the creativity but the passion to challenge Thames Water to deliver a better and more environmentally sustainable future."
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