Gates guarantee 'Lock failure won't empty harbour'

A TOP councillor has reassured residents that Bristol's Floating Harbour will not empty of water if the 'deteriorating' entrance lock gates suffer a 'catastrophic fail, as a committee approved £500,000 for crucial inspection work.

- Adam POSTANS

Cllr Andrew Brown, inset, said other gates would keep the harbour in place if that happened.

He spoke as Bristol City Council economy and skills committee, which he chairs, allocated money from developer contributions to carry out a survey of the 150-year-old entrance lock.

A report to the meeting said it was beyond its anticipated lifespan and posed a 'significant health and safety risk.

It said: “Entrance lock is a critical piece of infrastructure that allows vessel navigation in and out of the Floating Harbour.

"Following maintenance inspections detailed by the harbour engineering team and visits by an external contractor it has become apparent that the entrance gate locks continue to deteriorate, necessitating multiple interventions by the engineering team.