River Thames in 'unprecedented peril' over sewage, strikes and bridge closures

River Thames sewage pollution, threats of a mass lock keeper walkout and closure to key footbridges leave Britain’s most famous waterway in an historic state of stress.

This is the view of Greg Wilkinson, the new chairman of the River Thames Society Middle Thames Branch: a charity with hundreds of members dotted along the Home Counties stretch of the river.

Strained funding for key river authorities like the Environment Agency and Thames Water, he says, mean river-lovers themselves may have to step into pick up the slack.

‘The Thames faces unprecedented peril,’ a statement from the charity’s annual general meeting said.

A ‘two-fold threat’ of pollution and problem finances, Mr Wilkinson said, was the root cause of the river’s troubles.

Sewage pollution in the Thames has long made headlines, as have Thames Water’s financial troubles.

The company was rescued from the financial abyss by a £3billion loan this month.

But funding pressures have also caused problems elsewhere along the rivers.

Closure to Temple footbridge, a river crossing between Hurley and Marlow, has meant Thames Path walkers have been diverted away from the original route.

Nearly two years on from its closure due to structural failures, the Environment Agency is removing the central section.

Though there is no word yet on when it could, if ever, return to action.

“The footbridge problem there [at Temple Bridge], you can no longer walk the Thames path – its impassable,” Mr Wilkinson said

“That’s something a lot people have walked over, through many years, and that is just inexcusable really.”

And a strike ballot from River Thames lock keepers over claims of Environment Agency staffing cuts, threatens to cast a further shadow over the river.

Mr Wilkinson said: “The manning of the locks is reducing, there’s no other way to put it.

“You used to have a lock keeper in a lock keeper’s house who looked after the lock 24/7.

“The lock keeper at Boulters Lock has just retired – what’s going to happen there?

“Boulters lock is a dangerous lock, it’s deep, it’s one of those that really does need supervising."

With Environment Agency funding strained, Mr Wilkinson said river wardens – volunteers who keep a watchful eye on the waterway – could be a big help.

“I think the river wardens could be the eyes and ears for us,” Mr Wilkinson said.

“Certainly in Maidenhead I could do with some.

“We have them at Shiplake, Henley, Marlow but none in Maidenhead – to just keep us apprised of that the problems are.”

Though, to counter the threats, he added, a combined effort was needed.

“We [river groups] need to work together: divided we will be conquered, together united we may have some influence,” he said.

“And I think the Thames Society maybe has the status to pull those groups together.

“To say ‘come on let’s get our act together, lets join up’.”

More information about the River Thames Society is available on its website at riverthamessociety.org.uk