Update on 15/03/2024:
We need to advise that an extension is required to this stoppage. Unfortunately, the continued wet weather has made working on the site very difficult as the saturation of the exposed slip face and slumped material is making the area unstable. We cannot currently clear any material from the navigation or the side of the canal, for fear of further slips. Due to this, we’re planning to access the cutting across adjacent fields to dig down an access road to clear some of the slumped material, and then excavate the material from the navigation. We’ll need to construct a 300m access road before we can start the excavation, and then continue to work in a careful progressive manner to manage the risks of further slips.
The navigation closure will therefore need to be extended beyond 6th April. With the revised plan, our current aim is to re-open the navigation by 18th May. This is still subject to change, depending on weather conditions as we progress with the works, and what potential damage has occurred to the towpath wall, which we won’t know until we start excavation.
Thank you for your patience and support in resolving this challenge.