Towpath Talk - December 2019 - Preview

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TOWPATH

1 1 Issue 170, December 2019

The UK’s Number ONE read for all waterways users

88 PAGES

TALK

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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GRANDAD’S HUT RISES AGAIN

P4

THEY LOADED 16 TONS

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Season’s greetings A snowy scene beside the Trent & Mersey Canal at Wychnor in Staffordshire. A carol service will take place in St Leonard’s Church on Sunday, December 8 at 6pm and early morning communion on Christmas Day at 9am. PHOTO: WATERWAY IMAGES

WRG HOLDS BONFIRE BASH

Planners give green light for £3.37m Leeds inland port

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FLYING THE FLAG IN FRANCE

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FOR BREAKING NEWS & BOATS FOR SALE visit our website

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BOATS FOR SALE Starts on

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THE Canal & River Trust has been granted full planning permission by Leeds City Council to bring the vision for Leeds Inland Port at Stourton Wharf in West Yorkshire one step closer. Designs have also been revealed by the trust, which is now speaking to West Yorkshire Combined Authority to secure the £3.37 million needed for the scheme.

It hopes to start construction in summer 2020. CRT Yorkshire & North East regional director Sean McGinley said the port would have the capacity to take up to half a million tonnes of freight traffic off the roads. “The overall marketplace for freight within West Yorkshire is over 10 million tonnes per annum and the potential to

Vandalism hits heritage

INCIDENTS affecting waterways heritage stood at 626 in 2017/18 and 635 in 2018/19, down from 800 recorded in 2016/17. The most common cause of damage was vandalism (42% and 41% in 2017/18 and 2018/19, with half involving graffiti). The figures are revealed in the CRT’s latest heritage report, for 20172019. Less frequent, but significant, were incidents of damage caused by impact from vehicles or boats. In 2017/18, 40% of all such incidents were caused by boats, reducing to 19% in 2018/19. Vehicle collisions typically damage canal bridges, and in 2017/18 there were 63 reported incidents, rising to 85 in 2018/19.

move a considerable proportion of this by water is high,” he said. Aggregates will initially be the first goods to be delivered to the site. Plans to accommodate other goods and container freight are also under development. Sean added: “Leeds Inland Port presents a fantastic opportunity for our charity to help to reduce the environmental impact of transporting goods, reducing carbon

Barrier gate arrives

A 300-TONNE barrier gate has arrived in Boston, Lincolnshire, ready to be installed as part of a £100 million flood defence scheme. The project will help protect more than 14,000 properties in the area from tidal flooding and is due to be fully finished in 2021, as reported in last month’s Towpath Talk. The Boston Barrier 25m gate has been shipped by barge from The Netherlands and will now be driven into place. Delivery itself was a complex operation and had to be completed on a neap tide – when there is least difference between high and low water.

emissions and road congestion, as inland waterways across the world continue to be effective and efficient transport corridors. “By improving the connection between Leeds and the North Sea through our canal network, we hope to pave the way for further development of the inland waterway freight sector across Britain and internationally.” • Continued on page 2

Oxford towpath boost

WORK to improve the canal towpath in Oxford has begun. The Canal & River Trust, in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, has started work on a section from Aristotle Lane to Godstow Road. The project aims to upgrade 2.3km of towpath and is being funded by the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal to a value of around £750,000. This is a key route into the city with lots of links to residential areas, schools, university and green spaces. It is a very popular area for boaters with a range of moorings. The work will widen the towpath to up to two metres where possible.


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