River concern

MANY people are showing concern about the flood protection scheme. Looking over St Ives bridge one sees a large part of the river is buoyed off due to the fact that the water is now too shallow for boats. It is sad when one reads in the history books tha

MANY people are showing concern about the flood protection scheme.

Looking over St Ives bridge one sees a large part of the river is buoyed off due to the fact that the water is now too shallow for boats.

It is sad when one reads in the history books that St Ives, about 300 years ago, had the biggest market in Europe with fen lighters and barges plying their trade on these waters, which would be impossible today.

We now see large banks are being constructed to restrict flood waters to the confines of the river and I find it difficult to understand because, most of the land having gravel beneath the soil, one will not get 'ponding', which is water finding its way beneath these banks.

My own riverside property is pile-driven but in times of flood, water appears on my lawn before it comes over the bank. Whilst I think the pumping arrangements will, with any luck save Victoria Terrace, those with high riverside banks in the Hemingfords may get higher flood levels. Surely it would be sensible to carry out dredging throughout the river rather than banking it in at extraordinary cost.

WB CARTER, Meadow Lane, Hemingford Abbots