By Katie Green
Copyright cambridge-news
A boating company is concerned for a Cambridgeshire town’s flood defences as only one sluice gate works along the town’s river. Only one out of seven sluice gates at the St Ives and Brownshill Staunch is reportedly working.
The River Great Ouse runs through the staunch. With only one gate working, it means the staunch is working at only 14 percent of its operational capacity, according to Jones Boatyard, a family-owned boating business in St Ives.
Jones Boatyard claims the Environment Agency said they were going to repair the gates, but no repairs have been made. The local boat company said it is a “worrying development for flood resilience on the River Great Ouse”.
Ben Jones, of Jones Boatyard said: “The sole remaining gate was never intended to carry the river’s full flow alone and is now under increased stress. If this final gate fails or must be shut for safety reasons, the River Great Ouse could effectively be dammed at St Ives, with only limited overtopping allowing downstream flow.
“This scenario could have serious implications during high rainfall events.” The Environment Agency (EA) said it understands the community is “concerned”.
An EA spokesperson said: “We understand that local communities are concerned about the St Ives Staunch Sluice. The current situation is that three of the seven gates are operational.
“The remaining four gates have been closed to ensure that levels remain high enough for water users to navigate. The data and evidence we hold does not indicate that the current condition of the structure would have a significant impact on the risk of property flooding. Work on the St Ives Sluice project began in April 2025 when funding became available, initially to assess options and design the solution.
“The project is on track for delivery in 2026 and we are currently awaiting the delivery of parts to bring additional gates back into temporary automatic operation. Our teams are continuing to monitor and carry out inspections at the sluice to ensure the structure remains safe and its condition and operability is understood.”
