A town fishing community says "actions speak louder than words" following new upgrades to river defences amid an ongoing water level responsibility row.
Following a meeting in Hadleigh in January, the Environment Agency (EA) agreed to improve the sluice gates in Tinker’s Lane - which have now been carried out - and agreed the gates will be opened when a flood alert or warning is issued.
The public bodies says 62 properties in Hadleigh are within the flood warning area, and the upgrades will help to "enhance safety".
The September decision will not give EA the powers to open the gates for the purposes of retaining water for angling or other recreational activities - which remains with the owners.
Mark Snowling, owner of the fishing equipment business, Snowys Bait & Tackle, cast doubts on what the outcome will mean for the community.
"Actions speak louder than words", said Mark Snowling.
"That river is deeply intertwined with Hadleigh, and it's so important that it looks nice.
"The biggest problem is that no one really takes responsibility for the gates.
"The infrastructure is there now, it just needs to be used, so hopefully it is."
He added that he hopes the water levels along the river will "return to their rightful level" as anglers have recently been unable to use the river at times.
He did note, in general, he was "very happy" with the decision to protect the community in the event of a flood and welcomed the upgrades.
James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk, also said: “I know how important the issue of flooding risk is to my constituents, so it’s been a priority for me to engage with affected communities as much as possible.
"I hope it helps to mitigate the effects of flooding for nearby residents, but also means that – outside of flood threats - we see river levels that can support other activity such as fishing and sea scouts.
"There is a balance to be struck, but one that can only be achieved by engaging the local community as a whole, and I will continue to do that as far as possible.”
Published by the East Anglian Daily Times.
