CRT Zoom meeting on Peak Forest and Macclesfield restrictions this season

[Dave123]

Just wondered if anyone else on here attended the zoom meeting/talk that CRT gave last night on these canals and their plans for lock restrictions this summer? Before I try and give a summary? I asked if they were going to make the slides available after the meeting but didn't get a reply. Don't want to duplicate and I missed bits of the talk too.

[Jonkx]

I did, but probably wouldn't be able to give a summary, so appreciate if anyone else does. I thought they did say they'd share the slides though.

[Dave123]

Oh that's good then. I thought the bit about clearing the reservoir feeders and reservoir to canal feeders was interesting, but some looked in an awful condition prior to this work. The take home message really was just that as soon as reservoirs go off "spill" they will restrict locks at Marple and Bosely to morning only, and then if it stays dry to alternate days in the morning only.

[Arthur Marshall]

It'll be interesting at the top of Bosley as there's nowhere to queue. There's about one space, then the water point, and maybe half a mile of permanent moorings. And nowhere much to moor after the latter.

[Cheshire cat]

We  had to queue mid channel for three days when the culvert failed above Bosley 18 months ago 

[john6767]

If they are proposing restrictions on a Macclesfield over the summer, does that mean that they are confident that the blockage on the T&M at Anderton will be clear by then?

[Midnight]

22 minutes ago, john6767 said:

If they are proposing restrictions on a Macclesfield over the summer, does that mean that they are confident that the blockage on the T&M at Anderton will be clear by then?

No it just confirms CaRT are as much use as rhubarb stilts

 

[john6767]

17 minutes ago, Midnight said:

No it just confirms CaRT are as much use as rhubarb stilts

 

I’m an optimist!

[Midnight]

21 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I’m an optimist!

We all need to be 

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Midnight said:

We all need to be 

 

I still think there'll be a lot more open from 12th April because they are deliberately holding back with this before Easter and then the change in covid regulations.

 

Supervised passages at Pocklington and Figure of Three have already been mentioned.

 

I reckon they will happen at Soot Hill as well.

[john6767]

30 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I still think there'll be a lot more open from 12th April because they are deliberately holding back with this before Easter and then the change in covid regulations.

 

Supervised passages at Pocklington and Figure of Three have already been mentioned.

 

I reckon they will happen at Soot Hill as well.

Changing the subject slightly, have you seen the restriction at Braunston locks starting on 12 April, you could not make it up.

[mayalld]

12 hours ago, Dave123 said:

Just wondered if anyone else on here attended the zoom meeting/talk that CRT gave last night on these canals and their plans for lock restrictions this summer? Before I try and give a summary? I asked if they were going to make the slides available after the meeting but didn't get a reply. Don't want to duplicate and I missed bits of the talk too.

I was there, and really not impressed.

There was a lot of hand wringing about Coombs feeder, and no acknowledgment that they had known for years it didn't flow well, and that the culvert had probably collapsed.

They are (18 months down the line) talking to EA about being able to draw the water that is going into the Goyt instead of Toddbrook into the canal from the Goyt. Sorry to be picky, but many people asked about this 12 months ago, and were dismissed. I don't believe the answer to my question that they have been trying to get this supply for as long as they claim.

They are trying to make out that they are wonderful for all the works done. Works that have been neglected for years.

And now, we have an emergency stoppage for a culvert problem in Macc. This is the same attitude to bodging repairs that we saw year after year in Bollington.

This culvert had an emergency stoppage in November/December 2018. Clearly a proper repair was not done then.

Between wasting all the water through the canal bed at Bollington, and failing to maintain reservoirs, the boaters up here have seen their boating curtailed EVERY YEAR since 2016 by emergency stoppages of some kind, whether Bollington threatening to breach or running out of water, or the farce of Marple locks closing within a day of opening. What can they offer us, more of the same for the next 3 years.

 

3 hours ago, john6767 said:

If they are proposing restrictions on a Macclesfield over the summer, does that mean that they are confident that the blockage on the T&M at Anderton will be clear by then?

No, it means that they have no water whether the blockage is sorted or not.

 

[Dave123]

Whilst I didn't attend earlier talks about work on the Macc/Peak Forest, I got the impression they are trying hard(er) with these canals given the poor record over the last few years? An apology/recognition of the lack of maintenance of the Coombs feeder would be nice but isn't something big organisations ever do sadly. I think it is sensible they are planning restrictions sooner rather than later, if only to encourage some boats to go a different direction this summer. It would help to know if the T&M will have some assisted passage too though, as I'm having to go via the Macc when I'd rather go the T&M, even if it means waiting a bit.