THE Thames Tunnel is urgently required to help tackle the 39 million tonnes of sewage discharged into the river each year, due to lack of capacity in London’s Victorian sewers.

To find the least disruptive and most cost-effective tunnel route and construction sites, we need to listen carefully to everybody’s views.

We have extended our 14-week public consultation by a month so that as many people as possible can have their say and are holding a public exhibition at City Hall on Monday and Tuesday, December 13 and 14, from 10am to 8pm.

We would like to reassure Londoners that no final decisions have been taken yet on the route and sites. We are following up new information provided by people and considering all comments. Our revised plans will be made public next summer during our second public consultation.

Since September, we have sent out 175,000 letters to households potentially affected, staged 20 exhibitions and attended 40 other meetings. More than 4,000 people have attended our exhibitions so far and 1,000 people have submitted feedback. The new closing date for comments is 5pm on Friday, January 14.

Phil Stride

Head of the London Tideway Tunnels

Thames Water

Clearwater Court

Vastern Road

Reading, RG1 8DB

www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk