River Great Ouse: Dredging
Commons · Question 107517 · Tabled 21 Jan 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Question
Asked by Ben Obese-Jecty
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2026 to question 105592 on River Great Ouse: Dredging, for what reason the river has not been dredged since the 1970s and 1980s.
Answer
Answered by Emma Hardy, 27 Jan 2026
Since the 1980s, the Environment Agency’s (EA) maintenance works have been limited to targeted desilting at specific locations, such as locks, outfalls and gauging stations, to maintain navigation and asset functionality. Sections of the Ely Ouse, from Po...