Long stoppage planned for the Oxford

[Guest]

North Oxford Canal, Bridge 15 (Allcotts Bridge)

 

Monday 9 May 2011 - Thursday 19 May 2011

British Waterways has to implement an emergency closure on the Oxford Canal from Monday 9th May to Thursday 19th May to allow for the safe demolition of a third party owned bridge that crosses the canal at Ansty.

The works will mean British Waterways will have to close the Oxford Canal to navigation between Hawkesbury Junction and the winding hole north of Bridge 30, Stretton Road. Bridge 15 in Ansty is owned by Punch Taverns. British Waterways first notified Punch Taverns of concerns about the stability of their bridge in November 2009, and has been in correspondence with Punch Taverns since. Following on-going monitoring British Waterways’ Senior Bridge Engineer recommended to Punch Taverns in August 2010 that the only feasible options available were to either demolish the bridge or support the arch temporarily whilst a new structural saddle on independent foundations was constructed.

 

Following further deterioration over the winter and an independent survey by a structural engineer appointed by Punch Taverns, the company has approached British Waterways for permission to close the canal to facilitate the demolition. Given the current condition of the structure a daily monitoring regime has been established by Punch Taverns to ensure the safety of British Waterways’ customers until the bridge is demolished. Neil Owen, British Waterways’ Principal Engineer, South East Waterways said: “Closing a canal to navigation is not a step we take lightly, especially during the boating season. However the safety of our customers using the waterways is our top priority. In this instance the bridge which needs demolition is not the property of British Waterways, and we have been advising Punch Taverns for some time that they must take action.”

The navigation will be opened as soon as the demolition is completed and the remaining structure is safe, which all parties hope will be earlier than the 19th May 2011. British Waterways will advise customers via waterscape.com if early completion is achieved.

 

Enquiries: 01908 681 281

 

More stoppages on this waterway: http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/oxford-canal/boating/stoppages

 

You can find all stoppages at the url below:

http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/stoppages

 

I suspect this pic. is taken from the bridge in question - I was wondering what was holding it up at the time!!!!

 

Edited April 18, 2011 by MJG

[Hairy-Neil]

Another nail in the Punch Taverns coffin....

[steve hayes]

Ridiculous 10 days to demolish such a small bridge.

 

A bit of organisation and will it could be done in 24 hours and the canal reopened.

 

Is this more H&S stupidity, no wonder they keep loosing our money.

[Strads]

Tis lead lined so it swims to the murky depths of the oxford canal....

[canaldrifter]

Tis lead lined so it swims to the murky depths of the oxford canal....

 

Punch Taverns have forced up the price of guest ales at one of our locals by 25ppp in the past year.

 

Punch Taverns refused to carry out essential repair work to a previous local that I used regularly, until the place was almost falling down. The tenants were so fed up with Punch Taverns that they left. The current tenants are struggling.

 

Now this totally unnecessary canal closure in season because of Punch Tavern's inefficiency and contrariness is enough to make me say that I'll never again ever buy another pint in one of their pubs. Especially when just half a mile away, I can get the same pint 60p cheaper.

 

Tone

Edited April 18, 2011 by canaldrifter

[Guest]

Punch Taverns have forced up the price of guest ales at one of our locals by 25ppp in the past year.

 

Punch Taverns refused to carry out essential repair work to a previous local that I used regularly, until the place was almost falling down. The tenants were so fed up with Punch Taverns that they left. The current tenants are struggling.

 

Now this totally unnecessary canal closure in season because of Punch Tavern's inefficiency and contrariness is enough to make me say that I'll never again ever buy another pint in one of their pubs. Especially when just half a mile away, I can get the same pint 60p cheaper.

 

Tone

 

I made no joke when I said I did not know what was holding it up.

 

The picture I posted in the OP was taken in Febuary LAST year. It was indeed in a very poor state then. I can't find any pic.s taken from the tow-path, but the gap/crack from memory continued right down to the offside bank.

 

One consequence of this will be lost trade for the pub it serves after it is demolished as I recall it is the only reasonable access to the pub from where we are moored in the picture.

 

There are no (again from memory) moorings on the offside at the bottom of the beer garden nor reasonable access from the tow-path to the road that passes in front of the pub. The following from Google Earth shows what I mean.

 

[mayalld]

Ridiculous 10 days to demolish such a small bridge.

 

A bit of organisation and will it could be done in 24 hours and the canal reopened.

 

Is this more H&S stupidity, no wonder they keep loosing our money.

 

 

It beggars belief.

 

Punch Taverns will have to pay BW over £100,000 for a stoppage like that.

[Midnight Rider]

First of all, it is indeed a crazy stoppage for this time of the year.

 

We stopped there in 2009 & had a really good meal at the pub.

 

I would think that there is room for mooring for a couple of boats on the pub side if they were interested in the trade.

 

Otherwise, I don't think that we would bother with the treck round to the next bridge.

[Guest]

 

I would think that there is room for mooring for a couple of boats on the pub side if they were interested in the trade.

 

 

I think there possibly could be Tony, but from memory it's very shallow that side and would need dredging,

[RLWP]

First of all, it is indeed a crazy stoppage for this time of the year.

 

We stopped there in 2009 & had a really good meal at the pub.

 

I would think that there is room for mooring for a couple of boats on the pub side if they were interested in the trade.

 

Otherwise, I don't think that we would bother with the treck round to the next bridge.

 

Is this the Rose and Crown in Ansty? That mooring is usually busy with people going to the pub!

 

We've often stopped there for a good meal - they must be mad demolishing the bridge

 

Richard

[Top cat]

I have just been told that the North Oxford canal will be closed from the 9th - 19th of May at Ansty while they demolish bridge 15.

 

What the hell are BW doing shutting the canal at this time the bridge could and should have been knocked down during the winter, they admit they have known about this since Nov 2009 thats 2 winters that they could have done this.

 

Which over paid remote bureaucrat should I make a complaint to ?

 

Top Cat

[Guest]

I have just been told that the North Oxford canal will be closed from the 9th - 19th of May at Ansty while they demolish bridge 15.

 

What the hell are BW doing shutting the canal at this time the bridge could and should have been knocked down during the winter, they admit they have known about this since Nov 2009 thats 2 winters that they could have done this.

 

Which over paid remote bureaucrat should I make a complaint to ?

 

Top Cat

 

Yup - covered

 

Here

[Guest]

Is this the Rose and Crown in Ansty?

 

Yes..

[GBBS]

good to see that not being in posession of the facts has not prevented the formation of an opinion

 

BW do not own the bridge. It is owned by Punch Taverns.

BW are not paying for the demolition

BW are only facilitating the closure at the request of punch taverns to allow the demolition by Punch Taverns as they, BW, are obligated to do due to the dangerous condition.

Punch taverns have decided to demolish it now as it has become dangerous/ or the danger has been proven to them by their own recent survey.

They have not demolished before now as it was not dangerous until now - aparrently.

The closure may not last for the whole 10 days and if work is finshed sooner it will be re opened sooner.

 

This closure is not down to BW, the timing of it is not their choice

[Midnight Rider]

Is this the Rose and Crown in Ansty? That mooring is usually busy with people going to the pub!

 

We've often stopped there for a good meal - they must be mad demolishing the bridge

 

Richard

As Martin says, yes.

 

It must be costing a fortune to demolish the bridge. If they are in business for the long term, would it not have made sense to replace it with a 'cheap' footbridge (planning permission proviso) to keep future canal trade?

[canaldrifter]

I think there possibly could be Tony, but from memory it's very shallow that side and would need dredging,

 

I'll go along with that. Despite the 'Danger Deep Water' warning signs, we couldn't get alongside at the bottom of their beer garden.

 

I am very surprised that the bridge isn't a listed structure. Also, if I recall, doesn't it give the local farmer tractor access to a nearby field?

 

If Jeff Dennison had still been around he would be campaigning to save the bridge, and would probably have written a song about it by now!

 

Tone

[Strads]

nicely un-loaded both barrels and erh rightly so...

topcat keep up on the other thread mate!! BW are prats but own the exclusive rights to create a delay - be grateful its not over easter and may bank holidays in full....

[RLWP]

good to see that not being in posession of the facts has not prevented the formation of an opinion

 

BW do not own the bridge. It is owned by Punch Taverns.

BW are not paying for the demolition

BW are only facilitating the closure at the request of punch taverns to allow the demolition by Punch Taverns as they, BW, are obligated to do due to the dangerous condition.

Punch taverns have decided to demolish it now as it has become dangerous/ or the danger has been proven to them by their own recent survey.

They have not demolished before now as it was not dangerous until now - aparrently.

The closure may not last for the whole 10 days and if work is finshed sooner it will be re opened sooner.

 

This closure is not down to BW, the timing of it is not their choice

 

It must be a right bloody pain to hire boat companies on the Warwickshire ring, right?

 

Richard

[magpie patrick]

nicely un-loaded both barrels and erh rightly so...

topcat keep up on the other thread mate!! BW are prats but own the exclusive rights to create a delay - be grateful its not over easter and may bank holidays in full....

 

If BW made punch wait until November, and bricks fell out on people, BW would be liable. Thus they are not in control of the situation, Punch Taverns are

[steve hayes]

If BW made punch wait until November, and bricks fell out on people, BW would be liable. Thus they are not in control of the situation, Punch Taverns are

 

Yes but if they had anything about them, they would have pushed harder for a resolution earlier and applied heavy charges for every day the canal is closed.

 

[cynic mode] Let it drift into the main boating season and then hit Punch Taverns with a significant bill for every day the canal is closed. Apply as many H&S rules as you can think of to make it last 10 days or so. [/cynic mode]

[Guest]

If BW made punch wait until November, and bricks fell out on people, BW would be liable. Thus they are not in control of the situation, Punch Taverns are

 

Given this is what it looked like last Feb I'm gobsmacked no body has been injured by falling rickwork - whilst it makes a nice frame for the picture of our hireboat at the time it's one heck of a gap. The worst side, which this is is on the off side which is why I guess no body has been injured.

 

[magpie patrick]

Given this is what it looked like last Feb I'm gobsmacked no body has been injured by falling rickwork - whilst it makes a nice frame for the picture of our hireboat at the time it's one heck of a gap. The worst side, which this is is on the off side which is why I guess no body has been injured.

 

 

I'd agree, but I think we're into "who is liable" issues here. Once BW had raised concerns then Punch Taverns were liable, until the moment Punch Taverns said "we've decided to demolish it" at which point BW become liable if they ask for a delay

 

Clearly some bricks had already fallen out in your photo! (unless you removed them to improve the view )

[Guest]

Yes but if they had anything about them, they would have pushed harder for a resolution earlier and applied heavy charges for every day the canal is closed.

 

[cynic mode] Let it drift into the main boating season and then hit Punch Taverns with a significant bill for every day the canal is closed. Apply as many H&S rules as you can think of to make it last 10 days or so. [/cynic mode]

 

To be fair to BW the stoppage notice on the other thread does make it clear that they have been 'leaning' on PT -

 

Quote-

 

"we have been advising Punch Taverns for some time that they must take action"

 

I read that as code for - "Dear PT - if anybody is injured by this unsafe structure we will ensure that who is liable for it's maintenance is made very clear to any injured person and we will not hesitate to ensure all our correspondence warning you of the state of this bridge since August 2010 is made available to any interested parties."

 

PT are well renowned for being tight arses and they have just stuck it out for as long as they can is my take on this.

 

I'd agree, but I think we're into "who is liable" issues here. Once BW had raised concerns then Punch Taverns were liable, until the moment Punch Taverns said "we've decided to demolish it" at which point BW become liable if they ask for a delay

 

I agree - see the post after yours.

[stewey]

It must be a right bloody pain to hire boat companies on the Warwickshire ring, right?

 

Richard

It certainly is, Richard. We are hiring a boat from Kate Boats over the fortnight which almost exactly covers the stoppage period. We hired the boat with the intention of doing the Warwickshire Ring.and will now have to change to the Avon Ring.

Really upsetting for Kate Boats and all other hire companies in the area as the closure will make it difficult for hirers doing either the Warwickshire Ring or the Leicester Ring over this period.

 

Having done much research on the Warwickshire Ring and purchased the relevant guides we now have to obtain maps/guides for the Avon Ring. I expect I will be asking numerous questions on the forum covering the Avon Ring and especially the River Severn and River Avon.

 

Stewey

[canaldrifter]

It seems to me that from the image, the damage shown is due to vandalism on the parapet, not to structural integrity of the bridge. So why is the bridge being demolished?

 

tone