A FEW years ago you ran a front page article about the dire condition of St James' Weir. I am now writing not just as a concerned local resident but because the weir is a well-known beauty spot much appreciated by Exonians and indeed other visitors who admire the view from Duckes Marsh, an area which has been much improved over the last few years as a result of council expenditure, as well as enjoying the walks alongside the old mill stream which is fed by the river just upstream of the weir.
Since your article appeared the condition of the weir has greatly deteriorated.
The Environment Agency has commissioned an assessment report (May 2013) highlighting the poor state of the weir, and giving a probable lifespan of less than 10 years before the river breaks through and completely changes the local environment, certainly causing the mill stream to run dry.
A comprehensive repair of the weir to include a new fish-path would probably cost in the region of £1 million, and even a provisional patch-up would be a six-figure sum. Now I am very pleased to see that the Environment Agency is undertaking the new phase of flood prevention for Exeter at the cost of some £13 million, and while realising that financial considerations are uppermost in the minds of the relevant authorities, do the EA and our city council really want to see this ancient structure swept away, with unknown environmental consequences?John Whitton
Salmon Pool Lane
Exeter
↧