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Relief for lock keepers as EA shelves sale plans


A plan to sell off the homes of lock keepers has been shelved after a vocal campaign against the move.

The Environment Agency was taken aback by the strength of support after details of a scheme to sell off or lease ten out of 22 lock keepers’ properties in the region was revealed.

Lock keepers were jubilant after the EA announced that resident lock keepers would remain in place at each of its 45 lock sites on the Thames.

But the Agency said it would now sell just five homes, none of them on the river, including a house in Laburnam Road, Botley, which is currently occupied by a relief lock keeper.

One Oxfordshire lock keeper, who asked not to be named, said: “A lot of lock keepers have been living under a cloud, fearing that they would lose their homes.

“This news represents a huge climbdown by the EA. We would like to thank all those who offered us their support when people learnt what was happening.”

The lock houses in Oxfordshire on the hit-list were Godstow, Culham, Wallingford, Sandford-on-Thames, Little Wittenham, Buscot, Shifford and St Johns, near Lechlade, and Garth House at Rushey, near Faringdon.

Hugh Davidson, the EA’s regional director, said: “We have listened carefully to staff, MPs, river users and those who live in the flood plain, who all raised objections to our original proposals announced earlier this year.


Your Say YourOxfordshire

rickenback, oxford says...
9:29am Thu 4 Dec 08

always thought it was an open and shut case?

GaryOxford, Oxford says...
9:32am Thu 4 Dec 08

I don't mean to be cynical but isn't the Environment Agency's decision more to do with the property market rather than anything else? They won't be able to sell the houses for as much as they would like so they're hanging on to them for a while. When the market recovers they'll probably try to sell them again.

Zimmer, Oxon says...
9:42am Thu 4 Dec 08

Perhaps it's a good job they didn't go with the flow!

rickenback, oxford says...
10:27am Thu 4 Dec 08

Zimmer wrote:
Perhaps it's a good job they didn't go with the flow!
glad they werent out of there depth,with the current outlook..they do a swell job!

RogerM, Oxford says...
11:06am Thu 4 Dec 08

Hopefully when house prices do recover the EA won't barge in again and this will all be just water under the bridge.

Russel_Brand, Poundland says...
12:10pm Thu 4 Dec 08

If they sell all the properties at once the may end up 'flooding the market'

Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
2:10pm Thu 4 Dec 08

GaryOxford wrote:
I don't mean to be cynical but isn't the Environment Agency's decision more to do with the property market rather than anything else? They won't be able to sell the houses for as much as they would like so they're hanging on to them for a while. When the market recovers they'll probably try to sell them again.
My thoughts exactly, Gary.

Your sayYour Oxfordshire

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