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1 1 Issue 195, January 2022
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TOWPATH 80 PAGES 2022
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2022 YEAR PLANNER 29
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FOR CASH CASH FOR NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
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CATH SCOOPS SECOND AWARD
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Winter fuel BOAT FOR VETERANS AFLOAT
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JON TOASTS HIS 10-YEAR JOURNEY
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BOATS FOR SALE Starts on
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A snowy scene at Braunston with the Horseley Iron Bridge at the entrance to the marina decorated for the festive season. PHOTO: TIM COGHLAN
Seeing the canals from a different perspective THE Canal & River Trust is hoping to return to in-person open days so people can find out what lies beneath the surface as it carries out a £59 million repair programme. Every winter the trust replaces lock gates, dredges to ensure the water is deep enough for boats, undertakes maintenance on its mechanical structures and carries out a host of other heritage repairs and tasks to keep the network open and help ensure its
resilience to climate change. Chief executive Richard Parry said: “Our teams are out, often battling the elements, to keep the canals and rivers open, safe and accessible for boaters, local communities and other waterway visitors. “The task of looking after this ageing network presents an ongoing challenge, particularly as extreme weather becomes more common, so we will continue to be unrelenting in our efforts to generate
the funds and support needed to keep the waterways available for generations to come.” Subject to the latest coronavirus Government guidelines, the trust plans to run a series of open days in February and March. These will allow people to walk along the bottom of a drained waterway, see the working industrial heritage up close, hear from the teams involved and find out more about the essential work to
keep this important part of the nation’s history flowing. There will also be a programme of online ‘behind the scenes’ tours giving people who aren’t local, or who would prefer to join online, the opportunity to see the breadth of works taking place. The open days are being planned across the country and will encompass a variety of sites and works. • Continued on page 2
New EA charges
Leicester partnership
Northern canals
THE Environment Agency has announced a new charging framework following feedback from boaters. Aimed at being ‘more consistent and transparent’ the scheme will now see increases of 4% in 2022; 4% in 2023; and 2% in 2024. It follows an eight-week consultation which received more than 1000 responses. EA says that changes were needed because the current scheme is inconsistent across its three waterway areas. Boat registration renewal notices are being sent out to customers using the Thames followed by those registered on the Medway and Anglian early in the new year.
THE Canal & River Trust has launched the Leicester Waterways Improvement Partnership to make the River Soar and Grand Union Canal running through the city more special and use them to help tackle some of the city’s key challenges. With 117,000 people, more than a third of the city’s population, living within 1km, Leicester’s waterways are uniquely placed to help improve people’s lives. To maximise these benefits the trust is looking to pull together a broad range of organisations to help identify and deliver a range of projects along the waterways.
The Northern Canals Association plans to revive its twice-yearly meetings. Covid restrictions permitting, these will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2022, at Draycott Cottages hosted by the Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society and on Sunday, October 9 with the Chesterfield Canal Trust. NCA was set up some 15 years ago to co-ordinate networking events of restoration trusts from Birmingham and the North. Members’ contact details have become outdated and any restoration groups in these areas are asked to email northern.canals2021@btinternet.com to ensure the database is current and receive event details.
INSTANT INSTANT FUNDS FUNDS FOR YOUR
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FOR YOUR BOAT BOATVALUATION NO OBLIGATION
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your bo at with one yfr ouormbo our marinas from o at with ur mari one nas CHESHIRE
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CHESHIRE
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www.venetianmarina.co.uk
Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 2NH
Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DD