LOCK-KEEPERS' RESIDENCES (No. 2)

EDM number 1646 in 2007-08, proposed by Bob Laxton on 02/06/2008.
Categorised under the topics of Housing and Shipping.

That this House notes the plans by the Environment Agency to sell 10 of their Thames lock-keepers' cottages on the open market; further notes that a further 12 are to be let to third parties and that many long-standing lock-keepers and their families fear they will be removed from their homes; further notes that previous sales of lock-keepers' cottages have in the past caused problems on other navigations where new owners with little or no interest in the use of the navigation have used the law of public nuisance to restrict the activities of the waterway in the immediate vicinity of the property to the ultimate detriment of other waterway users; believes the sale of the freehold releases only short-term benefits and that a longer-term view should be taken where property divestment is proposed; is concerned that the use of peripatetic lock-keepers will cause delays in cases of emergency or during flooding and will lead to a decrease in public safety; and calls on the Environment Agency to think again.

This motion has been signed by a total of 68 MPs.