FEARS FOR RIVER SAFETY BECAUSE OF DELAYS IN REPAIRS TO TEDDINGTON LOCK GATES
The work on the main lock at Teddington started by the Environment Agency over a year ago has been stopped, it has been confirmed.
Additionally, repairs to the unreliable secondary lock are ongoing but there is no permanent fix date in sight.
These faults mean delays for those using the river for business or pleasure, as well as emergency services such as the London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police and the RNLI.
Matt Allchurch, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Teddington RNLI, stated: “The issues with the locks at Teddington can mean that we lose vital minutes when reaching those who have got into trouble on the river upstream from Teddington Lock towards Kingston, our busiest area.
“We are hopeful that the work of the Environment Agency will resolve the current difficulties soon.”
He added: “All work on the main lock – the launch lock – has stopped and it’s been out of service for a year.
“I currently don’t have any indication of when or if the work might restart. The barge lock which is much bigger and slower to fill is unreliable. There are divers in until the 9th April trying to do a temporary fix.”
Green Party councillor Chas Warlow has raised the issue with Leader of Richmond Council Gareth Roberts, who replied that the matter is for the Environment Agency to resolve. He added in his response that ‘We will keep trying.’
Chas said: “River users and the general public need to know that emergency services can respond effectively and efficiently. The situation is surely unacceptable – government ministers need to step in to find a solution to this problem.”
The gates need to be cleaned and repaired as, over time water has seeped into the gates and put pressure on the mechanism.
New wooden strips will be installed on the inside and outside edges of the gates, to allow them to fit snugly against the lock wall, but the bulk of the steel gates will be put back.
The hydraulics operating the gates will be new – and some of the concrete surround will be rebuilt, but is mostly able to be repaired. It needs to be strengthened to take on the new hydraulics.
Teddington Town has asked the Environment Agency for a response.
In a previous interview Maria Herlihy, waterways manager for the River Thames at the Environment Agency, told Teddington TowTn: “The concrete structure of the launch lock at Teddington needs repair, so we are using the opportunity to refurbish the lock’s two eight-ton steel gates and the equipment that opens and shuts them.
“The gates, which are 5.5m high and 4.5m long, will be taken away, cleaned and repaired. The sturdier gates will then be able to accommodate new upgraded hydraulic equipment powering them.
“Our engineers believe water may have got into the gates, making them harder to operate.
“When they are back in place and the launch lock is open again, it will be a smoother passage for the 6,000 boats that travel through Teddington every year for business or pleasure. These include the local RNLI rescue crafts.”