A: The Environment Agency has an annual river maintenance programme to reduce flood risk and improve habitats for wildlife.  This programme is risk-based in line with government policy.

The Environment Agency’s current maintenance works here include:

- making sure outfalls are clear of debris
- removing blockages
- weedcutting when required.

The Environment Agency is also working with parish councils to establish a future maintenance regime for this area.

A: Using silt to build up the river banks is a possibility. Ideas such as these will need to be assessed by technical experts to understand whether they are practically possible.

A: Yes, it is likely that raising the river banks would lead to an increase in flood risk due to the higher tidal levels that would occur in the upstream tidal reaches.