I support the idea of the reservoir at the Thicket, HOWEVER with a DIFFERENT PLAN which would preserve more of the trees and wildlife.
Rather than have one massive reservoir which eats all the green space, why not divide into 2 or 3 smaller lakes as they have done in Chichester gravel pits?  In this way walkers will have the option of shorter walks, instead of one very long one, which would make it more interesting and user friendly. Also it could be made more accessible for those with mobility issues.   It would preserve the oak trees at the Avenue and Deerslaughter Plane, which are important for wildlife. An oak tree is known to support up to 200 species and therefore important to our native birds. The avenue is home to hundreds of woodpeckers, tree creepers, several owls and many smaller birds.  Mature oak trees are not easily replaced and by considering only water needs, we lose sight of air quality.  Globally millions of trees are cut down daily and having lost many in storms we should look to preserve rather than cut down any mature trees we have.  In this way the revised plan would provide a more accessible wildlife corridor.  The current idea will lock the wildlife into the Thicket area, whereas this will allow a more natural movement between their previous areas.  In addition, it would mean the project could be undertaken in stages, spreading the cost and allowing water reserves to build up. Usage of the lakes could then also be managed more effectively.  Ie fishing or water sports could be separated, as the two rarely mix well!  I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN ANY FUTURE CONSULTATIONS IN THIS MATTER.  I LIVE NEARBY AND USE THE AREA DAILY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MORE SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CURRENT USERS, TREES AND WILDLIFE