John Cattemull,

                                                                                     The Lock House,

                                                                                     Stoke Hammond,

                                                                                          MK17 9DG

 

                                                                                       14th May 2008

 

Dear Sir,

 

I have read with some concern the reports that Defra intend to reduce the number

of lock keepers currently employed on the Thames.

Having resided at, operated or been around locks for forty seven years and having

been a boater for over thirty years I feel that I can comment with some authority.

 

Do the authority intend to allow boaters to operate the Thames locks unsupervised?

I currently live in a canal lock house ( privatised! ) and see what goes on each day.

It is not unusual to see inexperienced boaters sitting in the lock with the sluices

open at both ends wondering why they are not going up or down. The record so

far is three "rescues" in one day. I have more than once encountered a completely

drained pound on the canals and had to effect a refill. The idea of people playing

with unattended locks on the Thames is surely unthinkable.

 

The Authority are undoubtedly already well aware of the fact that canal boats are

sunk each year in unattended canal locks, in some cases by experienced boaters.

I assume that emergency telephones will need to be installed at each lock as when

an accident occurs, as they inevitably do on waterways, there will be no qualified

personnel in attendance to take charge of the situation.

 

The other point which I haven't seen mentioned is the problem of vandalism.

Bored youths love to play with the lock gear on the canals to see how much damage

they can achieve. What systems do the authority intend to out in place to monitor

and prevent this problem occuring.

 

If the authority go ahead with this ill conceived idea, just in order to increase their coffers

in the short term, I sincerely hope that they don't live to regret it in the long term,

  

Yours faithfully

  

John Cattemull