Thank you for your report on our meeting at Awre with the Environment Agency (EA). Firstly I must point out that David Awre is my cousin's son, not my brother.

The EA has said it will not fund maintenance on the Awre peninsula because it is not cost effective. We asked how much has been spent in the last ten years but were told that the EA does not keep such records. So what do they base their conclusions on if they do not know what they spent?

The consultation period ends on July 31 but the decision to cease maintenance has already been made. Why waste money on a meaningless consultation when it could be better used elsewhere?

We have had many meetings with the EA over the last two years and one thing never changes: their attitude. Questions they don't want to answer they either ignore or respond to in a flippant manner. There were several complaints from the audience at our meeting.

We are not asking for special favours at Awre, just a continuation of minimal maintenance so that farmers can continue to produce food for this country, and villagers and visitors alike can continue to enjoy the footpath on the bank and the beautiful scenery.

Awre is the only parish south of Gloucester, on either side of the river  to have funding completely withdrawn. We have to ask why.

The EA tell us that they have to protect factories and homes first, farmland comes a long way down on the list of priorities. But who is going to feed the people in those homes in years to come? Once farmland is lost it is gone forever.

– Mark Awre, Awre.