Lodes safe for now, says Gordon Brown

Cambridgeshire's Fen lodes are safe for the time being, says Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office.

The Pike Anglers Club joined parish councils in a campaign to safeguard historic waterways, after an EA report said levels could be lowered and bank maintenance stopped.

Nearly 1,000 people signed an online petition, while the PAC helped generate considerable coverage in local media.

Gordon Brown's office has now issued the following response:

"The consultation document gave everyone the chance to comment on the options for maintenance of the Lodes.

"The option preferred by the Environment Agency and most of those who responded to the consultation, is to maintain the Lodes at their present level and undertake repairs as and when required."

Click here to read it in full.

Lodes - more good news from the EA

Campaigners fighting to save historic Fenland pike fisheries received a fresh boost today when the Environment Agency declared: "We won't abandon the Lodes..."

Pike anglers across the UK signed an online petition after the PAC joined retired councillor Geoffrey Woolard's campaign to stop Cambridgeshire's ancient lodes being lowered, when it emerged their future was under review.

There were fears the National Trust's plans to buy up farmland to extend its Wicken Fen reserve, north of Cambridge, would have dire consequences for Reach, Burwell and Swaffham lodes, which are believed to date back to Roman times.

Many pike anglers learned their craft on these ancient waterways, like Ian Moules, pictured above with a fine lodes twenty. The lodes remain popular with a wide range of anglers , along with dog walkers, boaters and bird watchers.

The PAC set about publicising the issues as widely as possible. As the campaign was taken up by the local and regional press, the trust held a briefing for journalists at which it insisted its Wicken Vision did not require the lodes to be lowered.

Anger erupted after Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office responded to the online petition, saying the trust's plans would dictate the way the lodes were managed after all.

But the trust hit back, saying the statement from 10 Downing Street was "unhelpful at best".

Then the PAC was leaked documents confirming that the Environment Agency intended to maintain the lodes because of the outcry over the threats some of the options on the table posed to them.

Today EA Lodes project manager Jonathan Fearnley said: "'We have investigated a number of possible options for the future of the Lodes, and have taken into account the views of all interested parties including parish, district and county council, other key stakeholders and the public.

"There were eight options considered, and each was subject to a full technical, economic and environmental assessment.

"The preferred option is to maintain the lodes at their current levels, providing maintenance as and when it is required. However, if changes in land use alter the risk of embankment failure, it will be necessary to consider other options, such as carrying out advance works to the banks to reduce their risk of failure."

The lodes are artificial river channels that carry water across the low lying fens to the north of Cambridge to the River Cam. Centuries of drainage has caused the land surrounding them to sink.

As the land has sunk, the lodes have been retained at their original level by bank raising so they can continue to drain into the River Cam and be used for navigation. The water level in the lodes is now up to 3m above the surrounding ground level in places.

Mr Fearnley added: "One of the benefits of our preferred option is that it provides a cost-effective and flexible approach, which can take into account future land use changes in the area, and should not have any significant environmental effects.

"For now, reactive maintenance is the best maintenance option for the Lodes, but we will review the strategy every five years to make sure that the most appropriate management regime is being followed."

What you can do...

I you haven't already signed the petition, please add your name in support by clicking here.

A copy of the EA's final consultation document is available if you click here.

Comments can be sent to: Jonathan Fearnley, Project Manager, Environment Agency, Bromholme Lane, Brampton, Huntingdon PE28 4NA.

Victory in fight to save Fen lodes

Pike anglers and conservationists have won the fight to save Cambridgeshire's historic lodes.

Nearly 1,000 of them signed an online petition to save the ancient waterways, when it emerged their future was under review.

Options being considered included lowering water levels, which would have destroyed important pike fisheries and rendered Bottisham, Burwell and Reach lodes un-navigable.

Today leaked documents revealed the Environment Agency’s consultation paper, due to be published next month, recommends continuing to repair the lodes and maintaining water levels.
It says the decision should be reviewed every five years.

Pike Anglers Club anglian liaison officer Dennis Moules said: "It's good news, it gives us a reprieve for five years at least and had this come out at the beginning a lot of cost could have been avoided."

Retired county councillor Geoffrey Woolard, who launched the petition, said: “It looks like we’ve won a five year reprieve, which vindicates our friends and supporters and shows they were right.

“The petition system has proved to be marvellous for us, we’ve been able to get the word out quickly to people about the threat.”

The EA paper says: “Many responses received from local people during the initial phase of the consultation indicated that they were averse to doing anything other than maintaining the lodes as they are at present.

“The preferred option is therefore expected to be strongly supported by the local interest groups and parish council representatives.”

Last weekend, Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s office responded to the Save Our Lodes petition in a statement on the 10 Downing Street website.

It said the National Trust’s plan to extend its Wicken Fen nature reserve, between Cambridge and Ely, would dictate the way the lodes were managed in the future.

But trust spokesman Nick Champion said: “We were extremely disappointed to see the Government’s response to the ‘Save our Lodes’ e-petition on behalf of the Environment Agency on the No 10 Downing street website.

"What they said was unhelpful at best and implied that the Wicken Fen Vision is a justification for the Agency to cease funding the maintenance of the Lodes."

Save Our Lodes petition tops 800

More than 800 anglers, boaters and walkers have now signed up to the online petition to save some of Cambridgeshire's historic waterways. The lodes aren't just ancient man-made waterways believed to date back to Roman times. They're also fisheries where generations of Fen anglers cut their teeth.

Click here to sign up.

Gordon Brown signs Save Our Lodes

Okay, we've no way of knowing for sure whether it's the Gordon Brown or another one.

But either way he's the 755th person to sign the online petition to save these unique waterways - and you can join him if you click here and sign up today.