Future of punting in Cambridge faces threat from locks ‘in danger of collapse'
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BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Lib Dem leader backs calls for urgent locks work on the River Cam
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has added his voice to calls for urgent repairs to locks on a city's river, saying it faces a "catastrophe".Jesus Green Lock and Bait's Bite Lock on the River Cam in Cambridgeshire have been closed to navigation since June 2024 after being deemed possible collapse of a lock island could take out a sluice, lowering the river water level, which could put an end to Environment Agency previously told the BBC it was aware of the situation and was working with the Conservators, who manage a stretch of the river, to "support them with this issue to ensure a co-ordinated and effective response". Martin Smart, the Labour Cambridge City Council cabinet member for nature, open spaces and city services, said the authority had provided two of its "top officers" to work with the Conservators to come up with a Green Lock is in the city centre and Baits Bite Lock is in Milton, north of Ed, speaking after he tried punting on the Cam on Friday, said: "I think these locks urgently need to be repaired and potentially rebuilt."David Goode, chair of the Conservators of the River Cam, who manage the river between Bottisham and the Mill Pond, said a structural engineer surveyed two locks as "in imminent danger of collapse".Work to replace the locks could cost about £25m, which he said the group did not have. Sir Ed said the work was "essential for people using the river" and if it was not completed "the river would go to a trickle"."All the jobs, all the revenue, all the tourism that brings to this great city... So this is actually quite an urgent investment and I hope Cambridge City Council can work with the government or with other agencies to get that investment," he said. Earlier this year, the Conservators issued an "organisation in crisis" group said the cost of the repairs and maintenance needed to the river's infrastructure was beyond their financial Goode said that £1.6m "stabilisation work" would start at Baits Bite lock from 25 August, providing a fix which could last between five and 10 years. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Powys County Times
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Mortgage lenders under fire from Mid Wales MP David Chadwick
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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Locks need urgent repair amid threat to future of Cambridge punting
The flat-bottomed boats, propelled along the river by someone pushing a long pole against the river bed, have been enjoyed by visitors to the prestigious university city for more than a century. But the possible collapse of a lock island could take out a sluice, lowering the river water level to a 'muddy trickle' and putting an end to punting, it is feared. David Goode, chair of the Conservators of the River Cam – which manages a stretch of the river, said a structural engineer surveyed two locks as 'in imminent danger of collapse' in May last year. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey punts along the river Cam during his visit to Cambridge. (Chris Radburn/ PA) Both Jesus Green Lock near central Cambridge and Bait's Bite Lock, further north on the river, remain closed to navigation as they are 'unsafe'. He said work to replace the two locks could cost around £25 million, and the conservators do not have the money to do it. Sir Ed, speaking after he tried his hand at punting on Friday, said: 'I think these locks urgently need to be repaired and potentially rebuilt. 'It's essential for people using the river but the river itself. 'Without that water control, the river would go to a trickle. 'Punting might just go away. Jesus Lock on the River Cam in Cambridge. (Chris Radburn/ PA) 'All the jobs, all the revenue, all the tourism that brings to this great city. 'So this is actually quite an urgent investment and I hope Cambridge City Council can work with the Government or with other agencies to get that investment.' Rod Ingersent, managing director of Scudamores – a Cambridge punting company, said: 'It's almost certainly been a problem building over many decades and it's to do with very old structures which are expensive to maintain.' He said that 'something of this scale gets beyond' what the conservators 'can be reasonably expected to do as it requires so much investment and so much expertise in the maintenance of old structures'. 'But the effect would be catastrophic for punting, certainly for the colleges above the lock, the old buildings would be in trouble, and there's some amazing listed buildings along the college backs, they'd be under risk from the foundations being affected,' he said. 'Then below the lock the rowing with the city and the college clubs, that would be disrupted.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey punts along the river Cam during his visit to Cambridge. (Chris Radburn/ PA) He said the problem was of 'such a scale, the level of funding, it needs to go up some stages'. 'It might… need to go up to Defra, up to central government possibly,' Mr Ingersent said. 'I think it's not reasonable to expect the Cam conservancy to do it from their own resources, they're quite a small body and their main task is looking after navigation rather than I suppose being maintainers of old structures which they've inherited.' He said water has been 'scouring away at the foundations' of the lock island, and if there were another high water event it 'could be very challenging and something could start to give way with maybe quite catastrophic results'. Mr Goode said the river level is 'artificially held high' to allow navigation, and if the lock island collapsed it could take out a sluice causing the water level to drop. 'The lock irons are directly connected to the sluices so if the lock island collapses it's going to take out the Environment Agency sluice with it, I imagine, and that would be the issue with water level,' said Mr Goode. Jesus Lock on the River Cam in Cambridge. (Chris Radburn/ PA) 'Because then the water level would not be maintained at its current depth which it is on the Backs, which is the section of the river where the punting takes place.' He said that 'every 20 years or so' the conservators ask the Environment Agency to drop the river level so 'we can clear the crap out of the river'. 'Bikes, shopping trolleys, all the things students and townspeople throw in on a drunken night out,' said Mr Goode. 'When we do that we let the water out so we simulate what would happen if the sluice or the weir failed. 'All that's left is a muddy trickle. 'You would not be able to support punting at all. 'You could walk across it (the river) from one side to the other. 'So that would be the end of punting if that were to happen.' He said that £1.6 million 'stabilisation work', described as a 'temporary fix that will enable us to re-open the lock safely', would start at Bait's Bite lock from August 25. Mr Goode said that fix could last five to 10 years. He said they have 'sold the family silver', including some cottages and the former conservator's house which they owned, to afford the work to Bait's Bite Lock – but do not have funds for more work.
