Winter 2010 | NEWS | FREIGHT | RESTORATION
Droitwich Barge Canal opens
T
ROBIN SMITHETT
he Droitwich Barge Canal was officially opened to boat traffic on 11th September, at a ceremony held to coincide with Droitwich’s Salt Day, the town’s annual celebration of its historic salt industry. The Barge Canal saw its first through-traffic from the River Severn since 1919 on the previous Monday, when four private narrowboats, two hire boats and two cruisers entered Hawford Lock from the Severn. They made their way up the eight locks to the town’s new canal basin at Netherwich. Until 50 years ago Netherwich Basin was the site of the town’s gasworks, and in recent years the wharf there has been the working base for the Droitwich Canal Trust. The Trust could now find itself the victim of its own success, since the restoration has made every empty canalside site more appealing and the wharf could well be redeveloped. The successful conclusion to the long-running restoration project owes much to the efforts of the Waterway Recovery Group, who have been active on the waterway over four decades. WRG held one of their famous ‘Big Digs’ on the Droitwich Canals in 1973 and in recent times played a major role in the restoration of the Barge Lock in Vines Park. The narrow-locked Droitwich Junction Canal itself is now almost complete, but one short stretch remains before the whole canal can be a through route. This section was due to be developed privately, in parallel with the rest of the navigation, but the recession caused the developer involved to drop out. However, work has now started so the entire route should be open to navigation by next summer if all goes to plan.
Vines Park, Droitwich on reopening day.
Vacancy for Residential Caretaker Mooring - Sandford Mill There will be a vacancy for a residential caretaker mooring at Sandford Mill from later this autumn. This provides a residential mooring (with full planning permission) at Sandford Mill, near Chelmsford, on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. Moorings are charged at the usual residential mooring fee rate (i.e. normal rate + 50%). The position pays a modest salary in return for 8 hours work per week on maintenance and security duties at the site. For a job description and further information, or to express interest in the post, please contact the Navigation Manager, Colin Edmond or telephone 01245 226245 or 07966 375351.
IWA at the
Conferences
I
WA, together with The British Marine Federation (BMF), Royal Yachting Association (RYA), and British Canoe Union (BCU), all came together to talk to politicians with one voice on behalf of boating, water-sports and the boating industry as The Boating Alliance at the various party conferences over the last three weeks. The future of British Waterways, UK boating tourism, the impact of the economy on the boating market and possible regulation that may impact on leisure boating were top of the agenda at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham in early October. IWA and the team discussed the future of British Waterways and the possible inclusion of EA navigations with Richard Benyon, Waterways Minister, who fully understood IWA’s views and could see the advantages of such a move. The Alliance also raised the profile of boating holidays in the promotion of UK tourism with Tourism Minister John Penrose and stressed the need to market the waterways as one clear proposition, again supporting the conservancy idea. The topical Fuel Quality Directive was also discussed with Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, and there was a joint meeting with Anne McIntosh, Chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Alliance also discussed the current economic climate and potential for marine companies with former Trade Minister Lord Digby Jones, now a Business Ambassador and champion for the manufacturing industry. Detailed discussions on these issues were also held with Labour’s front bench team at their party conference. Notable amongst continuing support for the work of IWA was the acknowledgement by the former Treasury Minister Liam Byrne of the key role IWA and its political lobbyists had played in convincing him to refrain from selling-off BW’s property portfolio to fund the deficit payments in the latter part of last year. In addition to getting in front of the key politicians, IWA was also busy on the Alliance stand meeting councillors, MPs and MEPs. There was a great deal of positive interest in our ideas for reforming the navigation authorities through the conservancy approach, and our political briefing note was in high demand from visitors to the stand. Visitors were also very positive about ideas and schemes to revitalise their own constituencies and improve amenities on the watersides of riparian constituencies. It is likely that there will be a major plan to improve Staines put forward by the Town Council in the near future, involving a revitalisation of the River Thames frontage as a key focus for the town with the improvement and development of the waterside to encourage greater public use and boating.
IWA waterways - Winter 2010 | News-Winter.indd 7
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