Money could be flooding in from lock keeper homes

Published 24 Apr 2008 08:00 0 Comments

A LOCK keeper's cottage could be rented out for up to £1,200 a month, in a move to modernise the Environment Agency.

One of the two cottages at Blakes Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Reading has been earmarked by agency bosses for rental in an

efficiency review.

Reading-based letting agents Atlantis believes the three-bedroom water-front home could rake in around £14,400 a year if it is in good condition.

Eileen McKeever, the Environment Agency Thames Waterways manager, said: "We have no figures for how much the annual rentals will bring but we hope it will be several thousands of pounds, which we will then invest back into the river and to employ more staff to work on the locks in the summer. There are two houses at Blakes Lock and we don't need both."

In the move 10 lock keepers' houses along the Thames could be sold and another 11 will be rented out.

Ms McKeever added: "We need to operate the river as efficiently as we can, making sure we are using public money wisely.

"We haven't modernised this aspect of our work for a very long time and we have concluded we do not need to keep all of the lock keepers' houses.

"Of the 10 houses we have identified for sale only two are at the lock sites.

"The decision to rent rather than sell is because we want to keep control of what is going on on the site.

"They are either close to a lock or weir and we need to make sure we have control of the buildings. Renting them out will also provide an

ongoing income rather than a one-off lump sum."

She added: "People worry about our staff being made redundant but this is not happening. A lot of people find it hard to disassociate lock keepers from living on the river but we already have a large number of lock keepers who don't live on site."

Andy Strong, Atlantis managing director, said: "With the Blakes Lock cottage the big thing is its location, it is in the town centre and on the river.

"It could get a rental of up to £1,200 a month and for that I would expect it to have two bathrooms, have been recently decorated with a modern kitchen, well-tended garden and in good condition."

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 24 Apr 08

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