A major dredging project is being planned to stop a Suffolk river from silting up, preventing boats from being able to moor at quays and potentially affecting the working of an historic 17th century flour mill.

The trustees of the Tide Mill in Woodbridge have been in discussion with user groups along the river Deben about the possibility of working together to remove silt that is impeding the flow of water.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Dredging licence approved for historic Tide Mill

As previously reported in the EADT, although there is not an imminent risk the mill will stop working, in the longer term the silting would become a problem if it was allowed to continue unchecked.

On Thursday, the mill's chair John Carrington said in the spring, the mill was planning to carry out a smaller scale 'jetting' to remove small humps of silt that had formed in the mill's run off and were slightly impeding the flow of water out of the mill.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Tide Mill dredging 'could silt up' river Deben

However, only a very small amount of silt would be allowed to wash away down stream during this work.

East Anglian Daily Times: Concerns have been raised about silting on the river Deben Concerns have been raised about silting on the river Deben (Image: Archant)

There is no date as yet for the major dredging project and plans are still in their infancy, and Mr Carrington said the idea was for the user groups, including Kyson Fairway Committee and the mill to work together to meet the cost of the dredging, which is likely to be expensive.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Historic Tide Mill seeks go ahead for dredging

If the dredging goes ahead, the interested parties would then look to raise funds to meet the cost.

Mr Carrington added: "A member of the Kyson committee proposed the dredging and we understand the problems they have and that the silt makes it more difficult for the boats to come into the quays and they need to remove it.

READ MORE: Woodbridge news

"The project can help us as well and if we can afford it, we want to be involved. Being part of it can help to make it a proposition. We don't want to be seen as outsiders, we want to be part of the community."