Leading lock campaigner hopeful of success (From Bucks Free Press)

Leading lock campaigner hopeful of success

4:00pm Tuesday 28th October 2008 in

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A LEADING protester against the Environment Agency’s plans to sell or rent lock-keepers’ houses has says she is very hopeful the campaign will be a success.

A property in Glade Road, Marlow, is one of 22 on the list to be sold, while Cookham Lock in Odney Lane will be rented.

It will mean lock-keepers will no longer live at those sites.

The Environment Agency has delayed action on the controversial plans until a full review is completed in the new year.

Mother-of-two Kim Benge, wife of Cookham lock-keeper Adam, has been at the forefront of opposition to the proposals, which the agency said was part of an efficiency review.

Wycombe MP Paul Goodman attended a petition signing in Marlow High Street on Saturday with Save our Service members and Emma Shepherdson, the wife of Marlow lock-keeper Simon Shepherdson.

Mrs Benge said: “We are very hopeful and optimistic. The support from MPs has been massive, and the petition signing in Marlow was very good, we received a lot of support and it created quite a buzz.

“Lock-keepers’ wives came from all over the place, from as far as Sunbury, and river users came to offer their support.”

Mr Goodman said: “We are strongly opposed to these plans, and we want to keep up the pressure.

We saw the proposal as a threat to the safety of the river users, the livelihood of the lock-keepers and the whole social ecology of the river.”

Mrs Benge added: “We are putting on a lot of pressure on them at the moment and we are hoping they will have something to tell us at the next meeting.”

Around 350 people signed the petition on the day.

The Environment Agency has repeated throughout the process that safety is a priority and no final decision will be made until the review is completed.

GMB union officials and lock-keepers are due to meet Environment Agency officials on November 5.