Dragley Beck

As a result of sending an email to the Environment Agency with links to the footage presented below on Dragley Beck , the following reply was received:

From the Environment Agency

Mr Dellow
Thanks for your email regarding maintenance on Dragley Beck.

Just to update you, we are looking to remove gravel from under Fitz Bridge and the ford on Rope Walk, hopefully this work will be undertaken in the next two weeks.
At this point we have no plans to take material from Low Mill Bridge although we are looking to undertake some river modelling to ascertain what impact the gravel is having in and around this location. The results of this study could take some time but once we do have an answer I will let you know.

We are planning to remove overgrown vegetation from a section from Fitz Bridge to 500m below Low Mill Bridge, this work is planned in the next two months.

Finally, do you happen to know who the landowner is of the field upstream of Low Mill Bridge?

Regards
Andy

Andy Knipe
Operations Delivery Field Team Leader
Bridge End Depot
Levens
LA8 8EP

Reply

Many thanks for your quick reply.

However I cannot agree with your analysis.

I do not believe that you have examined and understood the video footage that is available to you ( It could certainly benefit from a more detailed explanation).

It is perfectly clear that the 3rd film of the water at Low Mill bridge shows the water is being held back before this bridge and not at Fitz Bridge even though this is where it burst its banks.

I suggest that you have an expert look at the footage and give you their opinion.

I can prove to you by straight forward logic that I am correct and any money spent removing gravel from under Fitz Bridge and the ford on Rope Walk will be misspent if it is not preceded by removing the gravel before and at Low Mill Bridge.

I trust that you will be willing to seek another expert opinion before making a final decision.

Time spent undertaking river modelling would be far better used in studying the real behaviour shown in the film.

Should you wish for more information on the exact points that the film was taken, I can provide this.

I look forward to hearing that you are reconsidering your analysis of the problem.

Sincerely

Dr Geoff Dellow

I do not know any of the landowners!

What follows is the content of a follow up email sent today to Andy Knipe at the Levens office of the Environment Agency.

Here are photos taken this Saturday, September 20th at this bridge.

I trust these will lead you to change your mind on the priorities and the urgent need of work that should have been done years ago had 'experts' listened to local knowledge.

I am giving you the opportunity until Thursday 25th this week to tell me what course of action you propose.

I have no wish to over-publicise this issue ( I have not shown these pictures to the press or even approached them yet!) but we have already some hundred signatures on a petition to have Dragley Beck serviced properly. We will present this to the County Council in due course - I am only allowed one per meeting!

As a result of the strong flow of the river a fortnight ago several things are now visible!

In the first a wheel barrow is buried in the river bed . This demonstrates just how much material has been allowed to accumulate under the bridge.



In this second picture concrete flags that were thrown over the bridge by irresponsible builders are obvious though these may not show up in the photos. This photo shows the area just downstream of the first.


The wheel of the wheelbarrow can be seen at the bottom

On the upstream side of the bridge a once buried shopping trolley can be seen!


To the right of the trolley a large boulder impedes the river flow.


The main obstruction to flow is a dense bank of material that has been deposited over time on the river bed to the left of the trolley again the two pictures overlap with the edge of the bridge at the bottom.




This picture was intended to show the channel that has now been cut through on the right side of the river bed but polaroid filter is needed to demonstrate this more clearly.


Here is the present level of the river passing under the bridge.


I am told that we have older photos which clearly show the river bed being much lower in the past - there being a much greater clearance under the bridge.