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IT IS quite shameful and almost immoral that the Environment Agency (EA) should find it necessary to sell lock keepers' houses as part of some ill conceived campaign to save money.

In private industry there is a fundamental rule that says "the management grows to fill the space available" and this is clearly what has happened within the EA.

The local HQ of the EA at Wallingford is an excellent example of the "fill the space" law. This is a state-of-the-art chrome and glass building located within landscaped grounds with excellent views.

Does the EA really need this luxury to "manage the environment"? The simple answer is no.

So if the management is committed to saving money why doesn't it set the example by selling the Wallingford HQ, getting rid of half the managers and find more modest accommodation without all the trimmings of luxury that it presently enjoys?

The EA is currently in the planning phase of three flood relief schemes, one at Cookham and two in Marlow.

These projects are likely to cost the EA (and subsequently the taxpayer) in excess of £3 million. A representative of the EA admitted at a public meeting held in Cookham and subsequently reported in the Bucks Free Press (November 16 2007) that the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme (MWEFAS) had caused an adverse flood risk at Cookham.

The MWEFAS was opened in 2002 and within less than six months on January 4 2003, Marlow and Cookham experienced their worst floods since 1947.

So, having made obvious mistakes with the MWEFAS, the EA is having to build further flood defences up stream and to help finance its mistakes, make the unfortunate lock keepers pay the price by the EA selling their houses.

Anthony Weeden, Bockmer End

9:49pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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