A RIVER could be restored to its former glory after pressure was put on the Environment Agency to repair the sluice gates at Townsford Mill.

The new owner of Townsford Mill, John De Bruyne, claimed returning the river to previous levels was a priority when he purchased the site earlier this year.

Previously the Environment Agency had claimed the gates could not be repaired easily.

However following a meeting between the Environment Agency and members of Halstead in Bloom, the visit of an engineer and the discovery of a legal agreement, repairs could take place soon.

Mr de Bruyne said: “I think we have a resolution thankfully.

“I am over the moon. I was so cross with the continual procrastination.

“It has been a terrible case of delay and shirking responsibility.

“We are a tourist business and it has been crippling us.

“The river is a fantastic asset, and really it should be treated as such.”

During the meeting three options where put forward.

The first to landscape the river, the second to build a weir before the mill, and the third build a weir below the mill.

None of these suggestions would raise the river to a satisfactory level, but Mr de Bruyne discovered a legal agreement between Courtauld Limited and Anglian Water from 1975, stating the Environment Agency would repair any damage.

As the new owner, Mr de Bruyne inherited the agreement.

He added: “Under the agreement of 1975 they are responsible for repairing the mill gates. It is that simple and when they are repaired the water level in the Colne flowing through Halstead will be restored to its historic level.”

He claimed the Environment Agency has tried to avoid its obliga tions and “fobbed off the town council for literally years with endless consultants’ reports”.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We met with Halstead Town Council and Mr De Bruyne last month to discuss the options for the gates at Townsford Mill.

"These discussions will continue throughout the summer.”