Severn and Thames canal future in doubt (possibly political )

[Stroudwater1]

https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/23045215.concerns-vision-connect-severn-thames-canal-link-risk/

 

The vision to create a navigable canal link between the Severn and Thames is at risk, according to opposition councillors at Stroud District Council.

Conservative councillors say the council’s longer term aspirations to restore the canal to the east of Brimscombe Port to reconnect with the River Thames at Lechlade have no protection.

Tories wanted to put forward an amendment to a planning document that offers no protection for this long held ambition at last week’s environment committee meeting.

 

The amendment sought to enshrine a commitment to secure the canal route and ensure future generations could continue working to achieve the noble ambition once held across the council, however this was blocked by a coalition of Green, Labour and Liberal councillors.

The Tories say officers responded to coordinated objections from landowners and others concerned that their lives will face interruption by reinstatement of the historic waterway and public access with an assurance that current plans would make no commitment to the canals. 

 

They added that this lack of commitment or protection extends to the draft local plan currently awaiting inspection.

Stroud District Council is the lead partner in the restoration of the Cotswold Canals Connected project with Cotswold Canals Trust, and they say the new emerging draft local plan refers to longer term aspirations to continue to the east of Brimscombe Port to reconnect with the River Thames at Lechlade.
 

“The council’s current Local Plan covers the next 20 years and supports the general principle of restoration of the canals within the district and specifically reconnecting the western end with the national inland waterway network, making Stroud and Stonehouse canal towns once again,” a spokesperson said.

“The council’s canal strategy cannot go beyond the policy of the current local plan, however the council could include proposals to restore the canal east of Brimscombe in a future Local plan, subject to this being supported at that time. 

 

[blackrose]

How can something that was never likely to happen be "at risk"?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

6 hours ago, blackrose said:

How can something that was never likely to happen be "at risk"?

Less likely canal restorations have succeeded. You can occasionally boat the HNC, in the miniscule instances between stoppages.

The protection is there so that the canal channel isn't built on further. Each extra building, road, whatever, makes any future restoration more expensive. Easy and cheap to do at the planning stage. Hard and expensive once built.

The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire canal is another one with a multi-generational restoration going on. It closed in the 1860's, but is mostly rural, so much of its line and a lot of the structures are still there. All the councils along the route support its restoration and have similar protections in their planning systems. The canal restoration trust people keep an eagle eye out for any planning applications that could affect the canals future and try and work with the council and applicant to get the canals needs incorporated.

The end result is any new development on the route protects the line and often includes the new bridges required for when the channel is dug out. An example below in Hereford, with the future canal channel running alongside the A49, with a new road and a new footbridge put in during the retail development. This is not the original line of the canal here, which was lost.

 

[blackrose]

I don't know. I've been hearing about these links between the Severn and Thames; between the GU and Thames via an extension to the Slough arm and also plans for a North-South broadbeam links for the last 25 years. If they didn't happen when the country was more affluent and big projects were possible, why would they happen now when the country has an economic crisis to deal with?

Edited October 24, 2022 by blackrose

[Tam & Di]

I suppose the point is that UK might somehow become a real country again at some stage, so any developments which affect the canal route must take the possibility of restoration into account.

 

However if the landowners concerned are strongly opposed to restoration, and given the extra costs involved for developers in taking that possibility into account, it is a big ask.

 

Tam

[1st ade]

45 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The end result is any new development on the route protects the line and often includes the new bridges required for when the channel is dug out. An example below in Hereford, with the future canal channel running alongside the A49, with a new road and a new footbridge put in during the retail development.

Good for them (seriously) I spent moths arguing that the A421 expansion near J13 on the M1 should have the bridges for the proposed Bedford MK link built in as it would cost a few hundred £k during the build and tens of £m (apart from the cost of closing the road...) to do it later.

 

The response from my MP was that North Bucks could not get involved in a project in Bedfordshire and the response from the Bedford MP was it would be illegal for him to be swayed by comments from outside his constituency...

[Jen-in-Wellies]

13 minutes ago, 1st ade said:

Good for them (seriously) I spent moths arguing that the A421 expansion near J13 on the M1 should have the bridges for the proposed Bedford MK link built in as it would cost a few hundred £k during the build and tens of £m (apart from the cost of closing the road...) to do it later.

 

The response from my MP was that North Bucks could not get involved in a project in Bedfordshire and the response from the Bedford MP was it would be illegal for him to be swayed by comments from outside his constituency...

The H&GCT seem to be particularly on the ball. They've built up good relationships with the councils over the decades to get them on side. I get the impression there is as much work going on in the planning and legal side as actual spade work. Lots of other examples of new developments along it where the canals needs were incorporated. Some now in water, some just a green path awaiting a digger. Fortunately, not a tremendous amount has happened in the last 150 years since closure, especially in Herefordshire, so there are few diversions and big engineering works required. The three tunnels are intact and in resonable condition. The route through Ledbury was lost, but a new one was set aside next to the bypass when that was built. Two aquaducts missing, one of which was blown up as an army exercise in WW2.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Tacet]

45 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't know. I've been hearing about these links between the Severn and Thames; between the GU and Thames via an extension to the Slough arm and also plans for a North-South broadbeam links for the last 25 years. If they didn't happen when the country was more affluent and big projects were possible, why would they happen now when the country has an economic crisis to deal with?

It took longer than 25 years to re open the full length of the Kennet and Avon and you have cruised the length of that canal.

 

It's more than 50 years since I first worked on the Wey and Arun.  My father, then in his early 40s expressed the hope that he might see it completed when in his wheelchair.  He was half right.

 

[Tam & Di]

In fact a link between the Slough cut and the Thames was being mooted back in the 60s (and maybe before), but that would involve a brand new canal rather than a restoration, and land prices alone would make that little more than wishful thinking. Not that I'm against wishful thinking, mind you  🤩

 

Tam

[Chris Lowe]

29 minutes ago, Tacet said:

It's more than 50 years since I first worked on the Wey and Arun.  My father, then in his early 40s expressed the hope that he might see it completed when in his wheelchair.  He was half right.

Thats about right for me as well, although a lot has been done since I started on the project in the 70's I don't expect to see it open in my time.

9 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

In fact a link between the Slough cut and the Thames was being mooted back in the 60s (and maybe before), but that would involve a brand new canal rather than a restoration, and land prices alone would make that little more than wishful thinking. Not that I'm against wishful thinking, mind you

Just call it a flood relief channnel and the money for a massive channel will appear from somewhere.

[David Mack]

When I worked on the restoration of the Droitwich in the 70s and 80s, reopening was always three years away! Took a lot longer, and the involvement of BW, to make it happen in the end.

[Athy]

12 hours ago, blackrose said:

How can something that was never likely to happen be "at risk"?

Why do you think that it's never likely to happen? The Cotswold Canals trust has been making steady progress towards the reopening of the canals for a considerable time now.

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

I don't know. I've been hearing about these links between the Severn and Thames; between the GU and Thames via an extension to the Slough arm and also plans for a North-South broadbeam links for the last 25 years. If they didn't happen when the country was more affluent and big projects were possible, why would they happen now when the country has an economic crisis to deal with?

Have you seen the progress the the Cotswold Canal Trust has made in the last few years. Much more like to happen I would say than the MK to Ouse link