On 9 May 2025, Nick Timothy MP joined the trustees of Clare Castle Country Park to look at the sluice gates on the New Cut. The gates need constant monitoring, debris can become a problem if it gets caught, and problems with the gates can cause flooding.
The Environment Agency used to maintain the gates, and it is wrong that it has washed its hands of them. So with the support of the trustees and local residents, Mr Timothy wrote to the Agency to ask it to take responsibility on 4 June 2025.
This was one of the issues raised by residents at Mr Timothy’s recent meeting with residents in Clare on 27 June 2025.
The abutments at the New Cut, an offshoot of the River Stour, have been weakened by floods and the river banks are eroding.
Unfortunately the EA’s response to Mr Timothy, dated 16 June 2025, was unsatisfactory.
Mr Timothy said: “The EA needs to seriously up its game. It is not right for them to abdicate responsibility, when jobs like this are vital to maintain our waterways and prevent flooding”.
You can see his letter and the EA’s response below.
