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Peel Holding and CRT Refuses To Put Barriers Up In Manchester


ChrisJBrady

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Yesterday evening BBC Inside Out did a feature on the canal safety around Manchester.  It was really interesting to see the lack of comments made by the Canal and River Trust and Manchester City Council. It was very disappointing to see the comments made by Peel Holding who REFUSED to implement ANY safety measures along the stretch of the Bridgewater Canal where Casper Blackburn died despite the inquest suggesting if safety measures such as CCTV, lighting etc were put into place that the death could have been prevented. Nick Pope (Charlie’s dad) is also interviewed discussing the campaign so it’s really worth watching. The link is below.
 
 
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34 minutes ago, ChrisJBrady said:

if safety measures such as CCTV, lighting etc were put into place that the death could have been prevented

I don't see how.  There would be well lit video of his death, but neither of those things would have prevented the incident.

 

28 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

the canal has been there how long?

Opened in 1804 that bit, so well over 200 years.

 

 

Edit - oops.  This was the chap who drowned in the Bridgewater at Sale, not the Rochdale near Castlefield. 

 

CRT have as much to do with this incident and response as P&O cruises do - nothing at all.

Edited by TheBiscuits
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2 hours ago, ChrisJBrady said:
Yesterday evening BBC Inside Out did a feature on the canal safety around Manchester.  It was really interesting to see the lack of comments made by the Canal and River Trust and Manchester City Council. It was very disappointing to see the comments made by Peel Holding who REFUSED to implement ANY safety measures along the stretch of the Bridgewater Canal where Casper Blackburn died despite the inquest suggesting if safety measures such as CCTV, lighting etc were put into place that the death could have been prevented. Nick Pope (Charlie’s dad) is also interviewed discussing the campaign so it’s really worth watching. The link is below.
 
 
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How on earth would putting up cctv stop somebody falling into a canal and drowning? 

 

Such a suggestion is nothing short of bloody ludicrous. It's no wonder peel knocked it back.

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I am saddened by any death of course, but one has to take care at all times, whether on the road or by any waterway. There are drownings and RTIs all year round. It is the duty of parents to forewarn their children, and the duty of adults to take reasonable care of themselves.

Edited by LadyG
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I have difficulty understanding why the people of Manchester fall into their canals so much more often and with more dire consequences than  the people of Birmingham fall into their far more extensive canal network.  Having traversed both this summer, I can only put it down to folk really badly affected by drugs and alcohol, which is hugely more of an issue by the canal in Manchester than in Birmingham (actually, more than anywhere else I've ever been, worldwide).  It's certainly not down to an inherently a more dangerous canal infrastructure. 

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I suppose that the people, especially the men, of the North, have the reputation of being big beer drinkers - but we don't often hear of such accidents on the Yorkshire waterways. 

Edited by Athy
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13 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I have difficulty understanding why the people of Manchester fall into their canals so much more often and with more dire consequences than  the people of Birmingham fall into their far more extensive canal network.  Having traversed both this summer, I can only put it down to folk really badly affected by drugs and alcohol, which is hugely more of an issue by the canal in Manchester than in Birmingham (actually, more than anywhere else I've ever been, worldwide).  It's certainly not down to an inherently a more dangerous canal infrastructure. 

People, (usually young male students after a night out) regularly fall into the Avon in both Bath and Bristol and  some drown, and that is despite the waterfront in both cities being lit, and with barriers between the River and the path.

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4 minutes ago, DaveandDebby said:

Perhaps the planners shouldn't have allowed so many pubs and clubs to be opened along the side of the canal. 

That's a valid point - but, though I don't know the area, I suppose that some of the pubs have been there since the days of commercial boat traffic. I don't know if working boatmen, meandering back to their craft after six pints at the pub, ever fell in and drowned, but I guess that some must have done. 

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13 hours ago, ChrisJBrady said:
Yesterday evening BBC Inside Out did a feature on the canal safety around Manchester.  It was really interesting to see the lack of comments made by the Canal and River Trust and Manchester City Council. It was very disappointing to see the comments made by Peel Holding who REFUSED to implement ANY safety measures along the stretch of the Bridgewater Canal where Casper Blackburn died despite the inquest suggesting if safety measures such as CCTV, lighting etc were put into place that the death could have been prevented. Nick Pope (Charlie’s dad) is also interviewed discussing the campaign so it’s really worth watching. The link is below.
 
 
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AT
 
 
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Casper Blackburn didn't die because of a lack of CCTV and railings.

 

He died because he failed to take responsibility for his own safety.

 

We can't keep on making the world ever safer just so that people can abdicate personal responsibility.

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While it is tragic for anyone to lose their life, the presence of CCTV cameras will not prevent accidents, rather they will give good evidence about how an accident occurred. The roads of this country have thousands of CCTV cameras in constant use but we still have multiple accidents everyday. 

 

Howard

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34 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's a valid point - but, though I don't know the area, I suppose that some of the pubs have been there since the days of commercial boat traffic. I don't know if working boatmen, meandering back to their craft after six pints at the pub, ever fell in and drowned, but I guess that some must have done. 

There were probably a few pubs there, but now it's wall to wall clubs, open till the early hours of the morning, all offering "special price" drinks. 

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59 minutes ago, Athy said:

I suppose that the people, especially the men, of the North, have the reputation of being big beer drinkers - but we don't often hear of such accidents on the Yorkshire waterways. 

Over the 2 years we spent on the North East Waterways there were a number of drowning in Leeds, mostly in the river, despite it having railings along most of its length. 

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I think we are all agreed what the issue is. The canal did used to be lined with factories and warehouses and even a powerstation. Now its wall to wall pubs and clubs. 

 

Possibly, the difference between Birmingham and Manchester is that the towpath along the Rochdale is far narrower than that of the central Birmingham canals.

 

What they need is a C&RT volounteer at every access point handing out buoyancy aids. ?  

 

 

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4 minutes ago, pearley said:

Over the 2 years we spent on the North East Waterways there were a number of drowning in Leeds, mostly in the river, despite it having railings along most of its length. 

I stand corrected, thanks for that information. Perhaps, for whatever reason, events in Manc. are more widely publicised.

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

That's a valid point - but, though I don't know the area, I suppose that some of the pubs have been there since the days of commercial boat traffic. I don't know if working boatmen, meandering back to their craft after six pints at the pub, ever fell in and drowned, but I guess that some must have done. 

When I first started working a pair some of the older boaters on occasions when they had sufficient money to blow on booze to get them P***ed had this thing of walking /or trying to walk along the top planks usually bow to cabin to prove they could do it even when drunk several fell in the cut & where fished out but a couple fell between the boats & one died & "tother 's pelvis & legs were so smashed up that his boating days ended there & then quite a few fell in the lock crossing the gate/s but the lock was usually left full when folk had tied for the night & top gate/s used as crossing point so it wasn't far to the water .T&M was good for the #of accom bridges by locks

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