Guildford Borough Council : Ownership Clear On Tumbling Bay Weir

Guildford Borough Council : Ownership Clear On Tumbling Bay Weir

The Tumbling Bay Weir at Millbrook collapsed unexpectedly in November 2019. Although Guildford Borough Council don’t own the Weir, we agreed to fund a temporary solution, together with The National Trust.

Following extensive research the evidence shows that Guildford Borough Council does not own the weir. It was agreed at a meeting of the Executive (22 February) that we are unable to finance any further repairs.

Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Cllr John Rigg, said:

“We don’t own Tumbling Bay Weir but we’ve worked really hard and explored every option to try and find a solution for a permanent repair. The future of the weir is very important to us. We know that our residents are particularly keen to see the reinstatement of access to the tow path.

“We have already spent £440,000 on the temporary weir repair which was funded through internal borrowing. The National Trust also covered 50% of the cost.

“We were hoping for a constructive combined approach and will continue to try and persuade The National Trust, the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council and Thames Water who all benefit from the weir to contribute to resolving the issue with a permanent solution which can restore public access to the area.”

We continue to be available to engage with the National Trust or other parties should other currently unknown options become available.