IWA Announce a £10,000 Investment in the Midlands Canal Network

[Sam]

IWA Announce a £10,000 Investment in the Midlands Canal Network

 

 

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has announced £10,000 worth of grants to the Midlands canal network. The grants have been awarded for work to be carried out on the Ashby Canal and the Saltisford Arm of the Grand Union Canal. These grants continue IWA's commitment to aiding the restoration of waterways during the Association's Diamond Jubilee year.

 

As part of this commitment an £8,000 grant has been made towards site investigation works on the Snarestone to Measham section of the Ashby Canal. The site investigations are part of Leicestershire County Council's scheme to restore the Ashby Canal from its terminus at Snarestone to Measham. The investigations will include trial pits and bore holes, soil samples, hydraulic study, archaeological survey and ecological studies.

 

Geoff Pursglove of Leicestershire County Council said,

'We are delighted that IWA has decided to support these site investigations works. White, Young, Green Consulting Ltd have begun work on the site, bringing us a step closer to the eventually restoration of the canal. Their work is taking place in conjunction with independent hydrological studies to establish water resources, and an archaeological survey being carried out by Leicester University'.

 

Neil Edwards, IWA Chief Executive said,

'IWA is pleased to be supporting this project. The Ashby Canal has suffered from years of mining decline and subsidence, leading to the abandonment of the top 8 miles. We hope that the completion of these site investigations will lead to further funding which will eventually see Measham connected once again to the national canal network'.

 

IWA has also awarded a £2,000 grant to the Saltisford Canal Trust towards the cost of converting a former canal warehouse, latterly used as a barn, on the Saltisford Arm of the Grant Union Canal, near Warwick, into an office for the Trust. The project will convert the warehouse into the Trust's new headquarters, a visitor centre, shop and disabled toilet facilities. For the last five years the Trust has been operating out of a Portacabin which was installed when its previous headquarters became unfit for use.

 

Philip Ogden, President of the Saltisford Canal Trust said,

 

'We are very pleased that IWA has decided to support this project. The planning permission for the Canal Trust's temporary headquarters has expired and so this project is vital to the continuation of the Trust's activities and to the management of the canal arm. The Trust operates facilities for boaters as well as fishing and permanent and visitor moorings, which are all essential to the survival of the canal'.

 

Neil Edwards, IWA Chief Executive said,

 

'IWA is delighted to be supporting this project. 'We hope that the conversion of the former canal warehouse to provide key facilities will enable the Trust to continue to successfully manage the canal arm for generations to come'.

[DHutch]

Good good...

[Sam]

Yup:-)

 

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