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IT IS no wonder that boaters are worried about the direction in which the new Canal & River Trust will be heading if a report this week on tourism in Shropshire is to be taken as the general view about the canal system.
Two quotes from the report are:
1: Alison Patrick, Tourism Officer for Shropshire Council, has been leading the drive to create the new tourism strategy. She said canals had a big potential in the area because of the World Heritage Site from Shropshire to Llangollen, taking in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, adding:
"The potential is in canals as a waterside landscape, not in more boaters, there is no room on the canal for more boats."
"Much work has to be done strengthening the association of the area and towns with canals and making the experience enjoyable and accessible. The triangle of Ellesmere, Llanymynech and Pontcysyllte with its canals and heritage rich landscape is key, supported by the Oswestry hill fort and meres and mosses."
2: Oswestry town councillor Saffron Rainey said he was worried that too much emphasis was being placed on canals:
"Canals and old iron bridges are a bit of a musty image for Shropshire. We want something a bit more youthful, energetic and vital.
"People want to escape to our landscape and the peace that surrounds us".
I bet the hire companies on the patch will be delighted by the comments.
New marinas
Ralph is quite right to point out, in the forum thread about new marinas, that a marina would be very useful on the Shroppie South of Adderley Locks. Overwater is a great addition to the facilities on the Shroppie but as Ralph points out it is 25 locks away from the long pound between Wheaton Aston and Tyrley and boaters really have no option but to moor online on this section.
Having said that, as I write, there are two vacant British Waterways permanent moorings at Tyrley which have been empty for some months since the previous occupants left. I wonder why?
Historic spin
THIS week I was looking at a facsimile of an 1830 canal map, which I think was given away by one of the waterway magazines. It shows the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal (the Shroppie) as being complete although in fact it was far from usable at that date, and in the event not fully open to traffic until 1835.
It seems that the old canal companies were just as adept at spin as our present lords and masters, British Waterways.
Water at last
After a dispute with Severn Trent Water lasting over 12 months British Waterways have just announced that the new waterpoint at Goldstone on the Shroppie has been connected to the main supply.
This water point was installed to compensate for the loss of the one at Tyrley when the treatment plant there broke down beyond repair as a result of a lack of communication after the last but one reorganisation of British Waterways. In the event it proved possible to reinstate the Tyrley one, which became operational before its Goldstone replacement due to the disgraceful foot dragging by the water company.
Truce
A few days ago I was intrigued to see an article in the local newspaper about the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal. It seems that a truce has been declared between the Norbury to Newport Canal Restoration Community Interest Company and the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust and that the two bodies have merged.
I'm not sure what this will mean in terms of canal restoration as the Trust planned to build a boat lift at Norbury to replace the 17 locks down from the Shroppie, because British Waterways had been unable to guarantee a supply of water. The Community Interest Group was formed in opposition to this plan, and they want to see the locks restored and reckon that British Waterways are wrong in saying that there is insufficient water.
Given that it is not unusual for British Waterways to be struggling to find sufficient water for the Shroppie in the summer, I think that there could be some interesting negotiations ahead for our new Canal & River Trust before too much money gets spent on this restoration. I doubt that they will be very popular if the busy main line North of Norbury comes under restriction because too much water has been abstracted to operate the extra 17 locks.
National Trust
The suggestion from David Davis that the National Trust might take over Canal & River Trust must be treated with caution. I seem to remember when the National Trust operated the Stratford Canal it became almost derelict because of a combination of lack of funds and lack of expertise. Could be worse than British Waterways!
Richard Swan |
