Cost of river wall repair work to triple

Cambridge city councillors have supported the tripling of the budget to repair a wall along the River Cam.

A section of the wall next to Jesus Green lock has been slowly deteriorating in recent years, forcing its partial closure in July for safety reasons.

On Wednesday the council's cabinet agreed to recommend an increase of the maximum budget to £2.44 million from the previous figure of £850,000, agreed in October 2024.

A separate project to repair the lock, which has been closed since May 2024, will be carried out by the Conservators of the River Cam, the body responsible for navigation along the river.

Councillors were told that the cost had increased in part due to the need to make repairs from the water.

Previously, engineers had planned for the repairs to take place on land.

There were also discussions between the city council and the conservators, who are responsible for the lock, to carry out works on the wall and the lock at the same time to save money.

Councillors were told this was no longer possible due to the urgent need to repair the river wall.

Councillors agreed to approve the increased budget as part of their strategic review of the River Cam, chalk streams and tributaries.

The review also supported a number of recommendations to improve biodiversity and reduce pollution in the city's waterways.

Do you have a story suggestion for Cambridgeshire? Contact us below.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.