This site is dedicated to raising public awareness over the proposed Environment Agency plans for the River Thames Lock and Weir Keepers.

In November 2007 the EA unveiled plans that proposed a significant and far reaching restructuring programme and contained within this review were plans to reduce the number of permanent lock staff by 16, and to appoint additional seasonal staff.                                           TAKE ACTION!

In April 2008 it was formally announced that 22 properties, (3 of which are currently let to third parties), were to be either sold, rented out to third parties or rented out as holiday lets. These properties are currently family homes, and although the EA have promised there will be no redundancies, and nobody will be made homeless, the families living in these houses will be made to leave; the majority of whom have lived in their local area for many years (if not grown up there). It is the place where their children are educated, where they have a settled life and have put down roots. As yet, the Lock-Keepers have received no firm indication as to where they will be expected to move to. In order to find 19 vacant properties for these families to occupy means that another 19 housed staff would have to retire or leave the EA within the next 5 years as this is the time-frame in which the EA would like to finalise the implimentation of these plans

July 2007

Why we all need our Lock-Keepers. TAKE ACTION!

Once the houses located beside the river have been vacated, and once the duty keeper has departed at the end of the day (if indeed there has been one), there will not be any on-site emergency help that would have once been provided by the resident keeper. You name it, the lock-keepers have probably seen it! People simply do not confine their accident timing, or need for assistance, solely to duty hours. We must all know of someone, if not yourself, who has required the lock-keepers help while off duty, and when did you ever hear of someone knocking on a lock-keepers door in an emergency, at any time of the day or night, only to be turned away?

If the houses are disposed of there will be no longer be a resident weir keeper to respond immediately, day or night, to any weir movement necessary to adjust the water levels. With the ever fluctuating levels of the river, the weir keepers role has become ever more critical and is of paramount importance. Understanding the river and maintaining its level is the lock-keepers primary role; it is a very specialised job that requires expert knowledge and skill, something that can only be gained through experience. It cannot be learnt from a 'user' manual or mass training course!

The relief lock-houses are also vital and must not be overlooked. Although these are sometimes off site, when the resident keepers are unavailable to deal with an emergency or weir movement, it is the relief that will be called upon to perform this duty. There is a very good and valid reason as to why they are located as close to their allocated locks as possible, and that is to provide a rapid response when needed.

The Thames Lock and Weir Keepers are the guardians of the river. They read and understand her ever changing moods. Their presence at each lock is vital, not only as a reassurance to the general and boating public but to provide all the other services that you do not necessarily see on a day to day basis. 

They have hundreds of years worth of experience and expertise between them; something that cannot be replaced by a computer, web-cam positioned on a weir, centralised office or seasonally appointed staff. They are always there; summer and winter, day and night, whatever the weather to manage the Thames Waterway, a place they love, care about passionately and a place they all call home.

These changes are based on finance and DEFRA budget cuts. Everyone acknowledges that public money has to be spent wisely but surely we must all consider that the public money spent on providing these services is just that, value for money. Once the initial income from the sale of the houses has been spent, will there really be any ongoing savings made? Could this plan end up costing more in the long term? Perhaps the EA would rather spend public money on compensation claims resulting from these changes;Crown Immunity was removed from the DEFRA and consequently the EA in April. Who is going to be held personally responsible when things go wrong? Where will this short-sightedness and naive attitude take us. Where will it end?

A Lockkeeper is not just for summer   'TAKE ACTION!'  

Latest Update - June 23rd 2008. EA Press Release

‘Following a meeting with the Minister Phil Woolas and MP’s Martin Salter and Theresa May, we have agreed to put on hold any changes proposed by the lock house review until we have completed our full review of Waterways staff  roles and responsibilities,  and terms and conditions.

No action will be taken to sell or rent lock houses until these negotiations on the full review are completed.  We anticipate that this will take 6 months but this guarantee will continue until all negotiations are completed or January 1, 2009, which ever is latest.  We will then review the position on lock houses with lock keepers and their representatives and with the MPs group

Save Our Service says ....

Although at first we welcomed the news that the plans to dispose of the
lock-houses has been put on hold for at least 6 months, while the EA complete
their full review of waterways staff, we now do not believe that the EA is
backtracking on this issue and will still seek to drive these plans through.

Our worry is that in 6 months time, the EA will try to put these plans through unnoticed, however Save Our Service will fight on until it is announced that the decision to reduce the number of permanent staff, and to dispose of the lock-houses has been scrapped. Our campaign will continue until the bitter end and until all the cottages are safe. 

We have received the most overwhelming support from all areas; MP's of all parties, river users, boat clubs and associations, the media and the public. The one over-riding factor is that nobody wants to see these plans become a reality and we must carry on with our campaign to ensure our voice continues to be heard. The implementation of these plans will result in the loss of 16 permanent, full-time lock-keepers. Quite how the EA can provide a better or comparable service, as they say they will, especially during the winter months, quite frankly remains a mystery.

Former Thames Navigation and Recreation Manager John Redmond, speaking in support of The Inland Waterways Association campaign said:

 “ I am saddened to think that Thames managers are unable to find other efficiency savings that would have less of a permanent impact on the wellbeing of the River Thames, its users and local residents. Having staff living on site and being generally available as the first port of call for weir work and emergencies has proven its worth time and again over the years.”

Zoom in for photo and article (observer) on new 10 Million Pound EA HQ

All content has been contributed and we take no responsibility for the content of external links.