Lib Dem leader backs calls for urgent work on locks

Sir Ed Davey on his visit to Cambridge addressed the issue of the Cam's locks

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has added his voice to calls for urgent repairs to locks on a city's river, saying it faces a "catastrophe".

Jesus Green Lock and Baits Bite Lock on the River Cam in Cambridgeshire have been closed to navigation since June 2024 after being deemed unsafe.

The possible collapse of a lock island could take out a sluice, lowering the river water level, which could put an end to punting.

The Environment Agency previously told the BBC it was aware of the situation and was working with the Conservators of the River Cam, who manage a stretch of the river, to "support them with this issue to ensure a co-ordinated and effective response".

Martin Smart, the Labour Cambridge City Council cabinet member for nature, open spaces and city services, said the authority had provided two of its "top officers" to work with the Conservators to come up with a plan.

Jesus Green Lock is in the city centre and Baits Bite Lock is in Milton, north of Cambridge.

Sir Ed, speaking after he tried punting on the Cam on Friday, said: "I think these locks urgently need to be repaired and potentially rebuilt."

David Goode, chair of the Conservators, who manage the river between Bottisham and the Mill Pond, said a structural engineer surveyed two locks as "in imminent danger of collapse".

Work to replace the locks could cost about £25m, which he said the group did not have.

Jesus Green Lock in the city centre is closed

Sir Ed said the work was "essential for people using the river" and if it was not completed "the river would go to a trickle".

"All the jobs, all the revenue, all the tourism that brings to this great city... So this is actually quite an urgent investment and I hope Cambridge City Council can work with the government or with other agencies to get that investment," he said.

Earlier this year, the Conservators issued an "organisation in crisis" update.

The group said the cost of the repairs and maintenance needed to the river's infrastructure was beyond their financial capacity.

Mr Goode said that £1.6m "stabilisation work" would start at Baits Bite lock from 25 August, providing a fix which could last between five and 10 years.