Winter/Spring 2010
Restoration of 6.7 miles of canal between Stonehouse and Brimscombe and Stonehouse is now being led by Stroud District Council. This year ( 2010) will see major work getting underway - the channel will be opened up, locks rebuilt, the towpath widened and new bridges constructed. Canal restoration brings economic, environmental, heritage and leisure benefits. The project is led by Stroud District Council and is bringing over £20m of investment into the district – mainly from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the South West Regional Development Agency. The council's contribution to the project is funded from capital receipts and NOT through the council tax.
Project Latest
As had been promised for over six months, a start on work was achieved before Christmas. Reed clearance took place between Bridgend and Nutshell Bridge . This was essential preparation for dredging work and improved the flow of water in the canal – reducing the risk of flooding to properties at Bridgend. The work has given the canal a much-improved appearance and the better flow has raised water levels downstream at Eastington.
This will be followed by the dredging of the canal between Stonehouse Ocean and Ryeford Double Lock , as soon as consent from the Environment Agency to deposit the material on a field near Horsetrough Roundabout is obtained. The intention is to dredge a channel 6m wide and 1 m deep initially. This will permit access by boat/dredger to work on the canal and its structures; the channel will be deepened later.
Another key stage was reached towards the end of the year with the transfer of the sections of the Thames and Severn (T&S) Canal to the Stroud Valleys Canal Company. Historically, most of the Western end of the T&S had been owned by Gloucestershire County Council, together with a couple of small sections owned by British Waterways. Having the canal under the ownership of one body was an essential requirement of the funding agreement with the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Work on building a new bridge into Upper Mills Industrial Estate will start in the near future, once final agreement is reached with Wycliffe College over a land transfer.
Construction of the new A46 bridge at Merrywalks is now expected to begin in April. However, the diversion over the old Wallbridge Bridge is still on target to operate between May and November, while the end date remains unchanged.
Nevertheless, plenty of other work is in the pipeline. The contractors dredging the canal will be required to construct a bund below Ryeford Double Lock, to keep water out. The lock can then be cleared to permit an engineering assessment of the lock – essential in deciding what consent s are required before restoration work can start. A similar assessment needs to be carried out on Griffin 's Lock at Thrupp, which is a potential project for Cotswold Canals Trust or other volunteers.
Stroud District Council's Cabinet last month authorised the use of Compulsory Purchase powers to acquire 13 sites along the canal. All are needed to permit restoration of the canal and its subsequent operation, such as strips of land on the offside (opposite the towpath) of locks, to permit construction of bypasses and the swing of lock gates. In most cases, positive discussions are underway with landowners, making CPO action unnecessary.
To find out more about the canal visit: www.cotswoldcanalsproject.org
You can get involved! We need volunteers to help with everything from scrub clearing to bricklaying and paperwork to excavating. We also need team leaders. Call Jon Pontefract on 01453 754287 or email jon.pontefract@stroud.gov.uk
