Dave
Ferguson - 7-May-2008 - The Environment
Agency has made it clear that lock staff
will not be made redundant under plans to
review the way in which the River Thames
is managed.
The Environment Agency
announced its decision to sell 10 of its
57 lock houses – and rent out a further
12 – two weeks ago, after they were identified
as not being needed for operational reasons.
Eileen McKeever, Thames
Waterways manager, said: “Speculation about
jobs being lost as a result of these changes
to the lockhouses is just not true, and
I want to categorically state that we will
not be making people redundant.
“There will still be
lockkeepers on site during normal hours
and we will still be providing a lock keeping
service as we always have done. We already
operate with more than 20 lockkeepers not
living in houses on or by the river.
“I also want to make
it clear that we will not be making people
homeless. We will ensure that all staff
and their families have a suitable house
to go to.
“This review is about
us looking at the 57 houses that we own
along the Thames. As we are spending public
money we need to make sure that we’re as
efficient as possible, and that means looking
at the houses that we really need for our
operations.
“We are sympathetic
to the fact that this will mean a major
change for some families, and we will be
working with those affected over the coming
months and years to help them through these
changes. We will continue to hold face to
face meetings with staff to keep them informed.”
Lockkeeper’s houses
were originally provided when working hours
were longer and before telephones and cars
made communications and getting around as
easy as they are today. As a public organisation,
the Environment Agency has to justify the
need for every property it needs for operational
reasons.
There will be no impact
on how the Environment Agency manages flood
risk – we will continue to operate weirs
and manage water levels throughout the year
as normal.
In the past year the
Environment Agency has spent £6.5m
on improving the Thames as a waterway for
people to enjoy. This includes refurbishment
and enhancement projects at 18 sites along
the Thames.
Eileen McKeever added:
“We are aware that this is a very emotive
issue for lockkeepers and their families,
but we have been running the river in the
same manner for 40 or 50 years, and we need
to modernise our working practices.”
+ More
Environment Agency reaches
decision on UV treatment in the North East
Rob Walsh - 7-May-2008
- The Environment Agency has made its decision
on applications to turn off ultraviolet
(UV) treatment at six sewage treatment works
on the North East coast outside the summer
bathing season.
Following detailed studies
at each of the sites, the Environment Agency
has concluded that UV treatment can be switched
off between October to April at Hendon,
Billingham, Seaton Carew and Bran Sands.
The turning off of UV
at Marske-by-the-Sea has been refused and
at Howdon, UV can only be turned off between
December and March. This decision is based
on the numbers of surfers near these locations.
In October 2006 Northumbrian
Water Limited applied to the Environment
Agency to switch off UV treatment at six
of their major sewage treatment sites outside
of the summer bathing season.
The Environment Agency
has considered the applications in detail
and done technical studies and surveys to
check the detailed information provided
by Northumbrian Water Ltd. Several years
bathing water data was reviewed to help
assess the benefit of the UV treatment and
maps were produced to show which areas of
sea would be affected by the proposals.
These were then compared to the areas where
people were observed in the sea.
Dominic Shepherd at
the Environment Agency said: “We have examined
every aspect of the applications on a case
by case basis, which has included looking
at the number of water users who could be
affected, the impact on water quality and
the benefits of saving carbon dioxide emissions
to atmosphere.
“Only when we were satisfied
that risks to water users’ health would
not be increased have we allowed the applications.
“We are confident that
water quality will not be compromised and
water users won’t be affected at these locations
as a result of this decision.”
UV treatment is a process
where ultraviolet light is applied to sewage
effluent to reduce levels of bacteria, which
reduces the risk of illnesses such as gastroenteritis
and respiratory tract infections in people
who may come into contact with contaminated
water during bathing or watersports.
Northumbrian Water applied
to turn off this treatment outside of the
bathing season (which lasts from 15 May
to 30 September), partly to lower the company’s
carbon emissions. These six works treat
approximately 60 to 70 per cent of the total
volume of sewage effluent treated by Northumbrian
Water.
To support their applications
Northumbrian Water provided surveys of the
number of people observed in the sea during
the spring, autumn and winter and also a
computer modelling report to show the areas
of sea that would be affected by increased
levels of sewage related bacteria if UV
treatment was turned off. The company also
gave information which showed it would save
2,200 tonnes of carbon (CO2) emissions per
year to help meet climate change targets.
During the assessment,
the Environment Agency engaged Professor
David Kay from the Centre for Research in
Environment and Health (CREH) at the University
of Wales, Aberystwyth as an external expert
in the field of environment and health to
review the technical parts of the applications.
Representations and
consultation responses were considered as
part of the assessment process.
As applications of this
size and nature have not been made before
and because of the large amount of public
interest, several people requested that
they be called in for determination by the
Secretary of State for the Department of
Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
DEFRA considered these
requests and recently informed the Environment
Agency that it did not wish to determine
the applications, which enabled the Environment
Agency to proceed to make the decisions.
Environment Agency policy
allows UV treatment to be switched off where
there is little or no bathing or immersion
watersports taking place in the areas that
would be affected by turning off the UV
treatment.
A full copy of
the decision document can be obtained by
writing to the Environment Agency, External
Relations, Tyneside House, Skinnerburn Road,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE4 7AR, or by visiting
our website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
under ‘North East’ region and ‘Regional
issues’.
