FOR THE ATTENTION OF CLIVE MALCOLM.

We had a useful exchange of views when we met at the Staines Community Centre.

My house is right by the Thames.   When we moved in 1990  the depth of water off our jetty was 14'

Twenty years later it is 3'

There has been little or no dredging for years.  The view expressed by DEFRA is that the river naturally scours.  Eliot Morley was sufficiently naive to suggest that dredging (i.e. making the watercourse deeper) does not improve the risk of flooding.

Developing  diversionary ditches will take years. I guess you can envisage - prolonged negotiations to acquire the land, obtain the necessary consents, and then find the funding which is probably not ring fenced - so it could be grabbed for other more important matters.

It is rumoured that the EA has disposed of its dredging equipment.  The media indicate that the Government is setting aside £300m for this project.

I believe that a Dutch consortium of Civil Engineers has expressed a wish to tender for river Thames improvements - if you have not yet examined that option, would now be an appropriate time - before we have a repeat of 2003.

 

sincerely,

Harry Purchase, The Anchorage, Riverside, Temple Gardens, Thorpe Lea N Surrey TW18 3NJ 01784 460659