We received a petition asking:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to prevent the sale of River Thames lock keepers cottages by the EA.”

Details of Petition:

“The Environment Agency (EA) have announced the proposed sale of many Lock keepers cottages, which will result in the safety of Boats navigating the river being compromised, and the flood management service being adversely affected too. This action is inevitably going to result in a great deal of avoidable damage being caused to property and infrastructure along the Upper Thames being damaged during periods of flood, and increase the risk of human loss with regard to both flooding and boating. The EA have been asked to raise funds for DEFRA to pay an EU fine, but there are alternative ways of doing this without creating risk to life and property, such as mortgaging the properties and using the rental income of said properties to self fund the mortgages, leaving the irreplacable infrastructure intact. We need Lock keepers, and they need to live very close to the River itself. There is no excuse for this action.”

· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage

Read the Government’s response

Following a meeting with the Minister Phil Woolas and MPs Martin Salter and Theresa May and discussions with staff and river user groups, the Environment Agency have agreed to put on hold any changes proposed by the lock house review until they have completed a 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. The Environment Agency anticipates that this will take 6 months but this guarantee will continue until all negotiations are completed or January 1, 2009, which ever is latest. The Environment Agency will then review the position on lock houses with lock-keepers and their representatives and with the MPs group.