£1.3 million cost of replacing gates used less than 10 times a year

THE YORK LOCK gates leading onto the Foss in York are to be replaced at a cost of £1.3 million.

But a Freedom of Information request revealed the lock was used less than 70 times in a decade, Janet Friend reports.

Trophy hunters

The City of York Council states that works costing £1.36m to replace lock gates on river are needed urgently, though there were claims that they are only used by a 'handful of trophy hunters’, who will benefit.

With it stated that it appears the council is planning to spend £1.36m to facilitate the occasional trophy hunter competing in a navigation challenge.

The lock is used by those few boaters trying to complete the Inland Waterways Association’s Silver Propeller Challenge, that aims to encourage boaters, canoeists and others to explore underused waterways across the UK.

But Tim Rane, of the River Foss Society whose volunteers operate the gates, told their use had been limited by their condition which would get worse if repairs are delayed.

40 years old

This was borne out by James Gilchrist, environment, transport and planning director at City of York Council, that is responsible for the lock, telling the almost 40 years old timber gates could fail unless they are replaced.

A planning application lodged with the council stated the works would see the lock drained and fish rescued before the upstream and then downstream gates are replaced.

The application stated the gate’s timber was rotting, leaking extensively and they were at risk of failing or becoming inoperable.

It is the council that is legally responsible for maintaining the lock as the local navigation authority.