Waiting for action

Firstly I must thank the voters of Horton and Wraysbury for the 491 votes that I received at the election in May.  It is difficult to stand as a single issue candidate (and without the support of a sophisticated party machine) but then I am still able to voice my opinion and not be subject to a three-line whip!  Obviously I will help if I can, but please feel free to take all your flooding concerns and insurance issues to your elected Parish and RBWM Councillors.

This reminds me that when I (as a member of the public) attended a Wraysbury Parish Council Meeting in October, I was greeted with “We don’t want to hear about lock keepers or flooding!”  I was actually there to ask questions about the hazardous sludge in pits at Kingsmead Quarry, but with a report still awaited from RBWM and an Environment Agency prosecution in the pipeline, I did not get any answers!  Wraysbury Parish Council has discussed the subject in secret and the local newspaper will not print the allegations.  I cannot afford the cost of a libel action, so we will just have to wait and see what happens……..

On the subject of lock keepers and their houses, the original proposal to sell the houses was rejected in 2008.  The Environment Agency recently announced that permanent lock keepers will no longer be replaced, and that the lock houses will be rented out. 

The National Audit Office has recently published concerns about transferred responsibilities, lack of expertise and reducing levels of flood defence expenditure.  In the current economic climate, failure to maintain and/or improve flood defences can only increase the probability of flooding, thus subjecting those households and businesses on the flood plain to increases in both flood risk and flood insurance costs.   Plans for the Lower Thames Strategy (the new channel that connects Datchet to Staines) are still on the table and have not been abandoned (yet). 

With relatively little rain this year, the Wraysbury Drain that runs from Wraysbury Station to Hythe End has ceased to flow and/or dried out for significant periods.  This is not an ephemeral water course in an upper catchment.  This is an important drainage ditch that lacks maintenance and needs urgent attention.  Ignore it at your peril!

Finally, for 2012 I am looking forward to celebrating not only the 20^th anniversary of the MWEFAS Public Inquiry but also the 10^th anniversary of the opening of the Jubilee River.  An opportunity not to be missed!

Ewan Larcombe

www.jubileeriver.co.uk             ewan@jubileeriver.co.uk