3. What is the essential infrastructure required to redevelop the Port?

Due to the high abnormal costs of the site arising from the need for remediation of contaminated land, deculverting of the river and the re-instatement of the canal infrastructure the project has been split into two phases.

The essential infrastructure to deliver Phase 1 includes the canal, basin, deculverted River Frome and a new access road off the A419. The reinstatement of the canal and basin, together with the raising of the level of the Port is required for flood alleviation measures to enable a residential led mixed use scheme to be delivered, which is also part of Phase 1.

Phase 2 will connect the redeveloped Port to the canal network with a canal and river crossing under Brimscombe Hill with corresponding alterations to the highway, including road and bridge works.

The design of the infrastructure for both phase 1 and 2 has been carried out by Atkins and has involved extensive hydrological modelling and liaison with the Environment Agency to ensure that the design does indeed take the site out of the flood plain but also demonstrates that there are no detrimental impacts downstream. Further canal re-instatement will then link to the canal beyond Canal Ironworks.

Once the canal infrastructure is constructed it will be transferred to Stroud Valleys Canal Company (SVCC) to own and manage with the rest of the reinstated Cotswold Canals.