THE one remaining lock on the River Foss is set to undergo a £100,000 revamp - despite the stretch of water rarely being used by boats.

Commercial use of the waterway ended four years ago and it is seldom used for leisure purposes.

But City of York Council officers are recommending that Castle Mill Lock, which is prone to jamming, is repaired at a cost of £100,000.

Despite the lack of traffic on the Foss, an Act of Parliament would be needed to officially close the stretch off to boats.

This would be an expensive and timely process and the council has ruled the option out.

And to leave the lock as it is would mean its use would become increasingly hazardous - one person is already claiming damages after breaking their finger while using the lock.

If left to deteriorate to the point that the lock was not watertight, there would be a serious effect on flood control as it would be impossible to maintain the river level in the Foss.

So it has been recommended that only council staff operate the lock, with a fixed fee of £55 to cover the passage into the Foss and out again, and £100,000 be found to drain and repair the lock.

The lock gates are operated by fixed winch mechanisms located at the side of the lock.

The upstream gates are pulled open by cables above the ground, but other movements of the gates are by submerged chains which pass through tubes in the lock wall and then at right angles through a roller to the gate.

Council project manager Michael Tavener said: "This design is prone to jamming, particularly if the lock is not used regularly and the mechanism is worn.

"With the combination of lack of use, minimal maintenance and wear and tear it has become increasingly difficult to operate the lock gates."

Updated: 09:00 Monday, September 10, 2001