Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when was the River Great Ouse last dredged.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) does not operate a routine dredging programme for the River Great Ouse. Dredging was last undertaken in the 1970s and 1980s, prior to the EA’s establishment in 1996.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment was made by her Department of the recommendations within the Section 19 report regarding flooding in St Ives in 2024 prior to the decision by the Environment Agency to reclassify the locks as Flood defences from navigation assets.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed a range of data and evidence relating to the St Ives Staunch Sluice and Lock, including hydraulic modelling and analysis of recent flood events.
The EA’s assessment has confirmed that St Ives Staunch Sluice provides very limited flood risk benefit but remains important for maintaining navigation water levels. The decision to reclassify St Ives Staunch Sluice’s primary purpose to navigation reflects this evidence and aligns with the EA’s internal asset classification policy.
The EA recognises that this change may cause concern locally, it does not affect the level of flood risk funding the asset is eligible for. It also enables St Ives Sluice to attract additional funding from Navigation which has supported the EA’s ability to progress the moderation case for St. Ives. The community can be assured that the current the condition of the structure does not increase flood risk to homes.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of using the Water Environment Improvement Fund to maintain the sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Environment Investment Fund (WEIF) is designed to improve the health and resilience of water environments through a partnership-led, catchment-based approach. Its focus is on delivering environmental enhancements, supporting biodiversity, and securing multiple benefits for local communities.
Maintenance of Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets is funded through dedicated flood risk management budgets, prioritised according to asset condition and the level of flood risk benefit provided.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on maintaining the eel pass at St Ives sluice in each year since 2015.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is the asset owner for the St Ives eel pass.
Historically, the EA’s maintenance work has also been combined with routine operational checks to ensure the sluice gates at St Ives function correctly, rather than issuing a separate work order solely for inspecting the eel pass. Operational checks involve activities such as verifying gate movement, mechanical integrity, and overall system performance to maintain safe and reliable operation.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason was the lock structure at St Ives on the River Great Ouse closed in 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
St Ives lock was not subject to closure during 2024.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost is of fixing all sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The gate refurbishment project is currently undergoing phase 1 which includes inspections, surveys and testing to determine all aspects of phase 2 work required.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit to flood alleviation of replacing St Ives sluice gates with a weir.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is assessing the potential flood alleviation benefits and impacts of a range of options, including the replacing of the St Ives sluice with a weir, through the current project development.
The project’s objective is to maintain the upstream water level for navigation and the option delivering the best value for money will be taken forward, in line with Government spending policies.
The assessment for each option and associated flood risk impacts will be based on fluvial modelling.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost is of the Mildenhall eel pass.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Turf Lock Fish passage project at Mildenhall was developed and funded in partnership as part of the catchment-based approach to help improve our water environments.
The project was delivered over 5 years as part of the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) Capital Programme. Through this fund the Environment Agency adopted a catchment approach, focusing on local communities, partner needs and looking for shared benefits supporting the environment and local communities.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was allocated to (a) St Ives and (b) Brownshill sluice for 2026/27.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.
The list of projects to receive Government funding in 26/27 has not yet been determined, and will be agreed in the usual way, through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date she expects the repair work on (a) St Ives and (b) Brownshill staunches to be completed.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) remains committed to maintaining and repairing these assets and has secured funding for repairs to St Ives Sluice and Brownshill Staunch Sluice through to 31 March 2027.
Subject to successful procurement and weather conditions, the EA expects major on-site works to commence during the summer and autumn of 2026, when river conditions are most suitable for construction. These on-site works are expected to be completed by March 2027.
The EA has set up a website to keep the local community up to date on both projects. I encourage you to share this website with your constituents.
St Ives Sluice and Brownshill Sluice | Engage Environment Agency