30/5/08
Various communications about river management.
As a (retired) weir keeper with over 25 years of experience, I am very
concerned about the EA policy to employ less full time lock staff during the
winter. I have seen first-hand the consequences of double and triple manning,
where there are wild fluctuations in water levels that can take several days to
calm down. If the EA plans are allowed to proceed, this situation can only get
worse. This could result in damage to boats, property and flooding. A weir
keeper cannot be trained, it takes years of experience, and you need to gain a
certain empathy with the river.
In December 2007, I rescued an elderly boater from the river who could have
easily drowned (on his own admission). If I, and the other lock-keepers, are
supposed to cover three weirs, then the safety of the boating and general public
will be jeopardised.
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I would like to know how much this has cost the PUBLIC so far,
as the Environment Agency MANAGEMENT have not come up
with anything concrete to date, on how, when and who's to be taken to court when
this pathetic money wasting scheme goes down the weir-stream. Who's responsible
for bringing this pathetic idea in? How much longer have the E.A. staff
and public got to take under-hand tactics of poor management and directors?
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The main point in this whole dismal affair that needs putting up front is the
fact that the resident Lock Keepers are the immediate response service to the
regulating weirs on what is the largest drainage ditch in the south of England !
One of the main problems is the fact that the dredging programmes that not only
kept this river clear but actually economically built and maintained the banks
of this river were stopped by the current trend of inexperienced management some
8 to 10 years ago along with other necessary maintenance! You will no doubt hear
lots of excuses and spin about mobile workforces etc, have our current
management driven through the Thames valley towns and villages recently? They
are gridlocked! You will also hear bleating about EU regulations, another "red
herring"! Most if not all other EU countries ignore EU regs when it suits them
and this issue is going to put lives, properties and potentially the economy in
jeopardy!
All this is about funding and the fact that this government have sold off just
about our whole country, it would have been called treason not long ago! There
is a way out which should have been taken long ago but is still viable and is
laid down in law if we can find any politicians with the backbone to apply it.
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If the EA say that they are dredging the river or "river bed reprofiling" as they quaintly put it, this is not dredging as they are dumping the spoils back into the river which is completely pointless and just moves the silting up to a different part of the river and will still cause flooding!!! You could not really make this stuff up it is pure spin and PR.
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There are so many issues raised by the EA proposal but I'll limit myself to
three because I am sure other people will all raise very pertinent points:
How will sites be accessed during floods not only to pull weirs, but to keep
them clear during a flood then to shut them in as the waters fall? Cameras on
weirs will allow people to watch the chaos unfold powerless to do anything.
Telemetry is inaccurate - in July certain locks in the Upper Thames were
requested to ring in water levels out of hours.
Locks are safe places for everyone to visit throughout the year regardless of
age, gender etc. I heard a very interesting programme on Radio 4 which explained
that parks, which had been havens of peace and recreation for the entire
community, became dangerous no go areas vandalised with drinking and drug
dealing - not a place were your granny would be happy to take a stroll. Through
taxes the great British public pays for locks and they all should be able to
enjoy them.
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