LETTER: Can someone lead the charge to fix Arundel's broken flood defences?

I remember my grandad and many other local men working hard well to ensure the river banks and defences were kept in good order and that the sluices, ditches, streams, etc., were all regularly dredged and maintained.

Banks were cleared and kept so neat and tidy, and pathways and trees maintained. I understand things have moved on and that services have all been cut back but regular maintenance would have surely been better than the Environment Agency just monitoring the river wall noting which ones were in a poor state.

Those living in the houses in River Road near the wall have been subjected to more than two years of unthinkable worries with still no light at the end of the tunnel. This is surely endangering more than we can see as the river is tidal, so we are unable to see the underlying damage that occurs at every tide change.

I also understand that the Environment Agency carried out some emergency repair works on this stretch of wall mere weeks before it collapsed. I don’t understand how no authority is accountable?

How can and why should the owners be responsible for a wall with foundations on the river bed that I am told could very well be more than 200 years old? How are they expected to pay the costs?

This whole situation seems so unfair with different authorities and businesses all pointing fingers at each other.

As a local resident who has a great love and passion for this beautiful town I know we have always been a close-knit community. When bad thinks befall a neighbour, we pull together and help out where we can.

I strongly believe this is so in this instance, but it needs someone to champion the cause and lead the campaign.

We need someone with legal knowledge willing to donate some of their expertise, and someone who knows how to set up and run as well as promote a crowdfunding scheme.

Surely this family and all the surrounding families deserve help. The family have been told it’s their wall but as far as I am concerned this is firstly part of the river defences for the town of Arundel. This is that the wall would still have to be maintained and repaired even if there were no houses along this stretch.