'River needs maintenance'

THE latest complaint about the lack of work by the Environment Agency on the River Great Ouse is from a former controller who complains it badly needs maintenance.

Bill Brown, who worked as a river controller for 36 years, remarks that he is 'ashamed' of the state the river has been allowed to get into, telling that poor maintenance was resulting in the risk of more flood problems, leading to the need for a defence scheme in his home town of Godmanchester costing up to £11 million, all through lack of maintenance, complaining:

"I am disgusted. I am ashamed to think it was the river I used to control once upon a time. I used to be responsible for river maintenance and controlling the floods and I was on call 24 hours a day. They don't seem to be doing it any more."

Will meet EA officials

Bill is one of three  from the town who will meet Environment Agency officials to give their views on the proposed flood protection scheme.

But even the Town Mayor, Pat Doherty, who has been involved in river issues, was alarmed at the lack of maintenance, remarking:

"It is not a question of can we afford it, we have got to afford it. Years of neglect are catching up with us, but work such as digging out the old lock pen would help to get flood water away."

Also concerned

Another local resident,  John Thackray, is also concerned about the lack of maintenance on the river, together with the future of the Old Mill area and the Causeway.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency confirmed that  it planned to meet these people.