BULLETIN. 13th December Join IWA from 2.55/month - Keeping our waterways alive

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1 BULLETIN 13th December 2016 IWA Preparing for HS2 Phase 2B Consultations On 15 November 2016 Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, announced the letting of contracts for Phase 1 of HS2, enabling works in advance of Royal Assent for the Phase 1 Bill, worth up to 900m. At the same time he announced the publication of a command paper and accompanying maps, setting out the full detail of my preferred route for the HS2 Phase 2b route. This is the long-awaited response to the consultations responded to by IWA and others in February 2013, when we outlined our concerns over the impact on inland waterways. Examples included the Chesterfield Canal, where the route ran over a section of already- restored canal, and the Aire & Calder around Woodlesford where the rail route ran along and over the navigation without allowing sufficient clearance for the existing commercial traffic, let alone the Euro 2 expansion CRT were aiming for. Happily these two examples seem to have done better in these latest announcements - subject of course to the outcome of the consultations. However other canal crossings have come off worse, as the route has been altered to avoid difficult ground conditions or other issues. IWA will prepare a response at a national level, and work with branches and canal societies and restoration trusts in conjunction with CRT and other navigation authorities to influence the outcome of HS2 s consultations. These are the consultations announced on 15th November, with a closing date of 9 March 2017: 1. HS2 Crewe to Manchester, West Midlands to Leeds: Route Refinement Consultation seven specific changes to the previous (2013) route. This is the main consultation, and relates to: On the western leg: to move the previously proposed rolling stock depot at Golborne to a site north of Crewe; at Golborne it Contents IWA News IWA Branch News Other Waterway News Join IWA from 2.55/month - 1

2 impacted the Leeds and Liverpool on the opposite side of the valley; to move the approach to Manchester Piccadilly up to 370 metres eastwards with the northern tunnel portal in Ardwick, to avoid direct impacts on residential properties and a school at West Gorton; to move the route in the Middlewich - Northwich area in Cheshire up to 800 metres westwards; this impacts the Trent and Mersey Canal where a single crossing now becomes 3 crossings on a 20 metre high embankment; also the Middlewich Branch where a single crossing has now become a wider crossing approaching the New Crofton Rolling Stock depot north of Crewe. On the eastern leg: to move the route to the east of Measham in Leicestershire, avoiding the most significant impacts on local manufacturing businesses and development sites; this now proposes a crossing of the Ashby Canal restoration route without providing sufficient height; to go around instead of tunnel under East Midlands Airport; to amend the alignment of the preferred route as it passes through Long Eaton to reduce severance in the local community and reduce impacts on the highway network and existing rail infrastructure; This appears to reduce impact slightly on the Erewash Canal, but may encourage other transport connections impacting the Derby Canal restoration; to move the alignment of the route from Derbyshire to West Yorkshire to reflect a change in the proposals for serving the Sheffield city region, as recommended by Sir David Higgins in his report Sheffield and South Yorkshire published in July 2016; This reduces the catastrophic impact on the Chesterfield Canal near Staveley, however the new crossing around the Norwood Tunnel will not be straightforward and requires further work. 2. HS2 Crewe to Manchester, West Midlands to Leeds: Property Consultation 2016: This consultation is seeking views on the various property compensation and assistance schemes the Government is proposing for people affected by the plans for the Phase 2b route, from Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds. The Preferred Routes announced by the Secretary of State are not specifically out for consultation, but include a number of inland waterway crossings in addition to those in the Design Refinement consultation above. IWA will study these in detail and include any references or concerns where possible in the Design Refinement consultation, or otherwise raise them with HS2. IWA, CRT and impacted canal societies will also continue to discuss the detailed changes to collate our views and open discussions. The current information issued comprises plans of routes on an Ordnance Survey background with elevation and general layout details but relatively little else, and there is more information in Route Engineering Reports which may provide further useful detail. IWA News Last Chance to Buy 2017 IWA Calendar A year s worth of prize winning waterway photographs to keep, give or use as postcards for only 3.95 including postage so buy now at IWA s online shop, www. iwashop.com. IWA at London Boat Show - Ticket Offer IWA will be at London Boat Show talking about our campaigns and selling our ever popular memberships, books, maps and guides. If you are planning a vist to the Show we can share a special exhibitor only ticket discount with you. Tickets can be purchased for 12 valid on any one day between 6-15 January 2017 (Gate price is 27 on preview day and 22 for normal days). Find out about volunteering - 2

3 Use IWA s special ticket offer code - EPTOM8DRPJ. Buy your tickets from the 2017 London Boat Show website now and remember to use our code. Matthew Rogers to Run London Marathon for IWA On 23rd April 2017 Matthew Rogers will be taking on the ultimate running challenge by participating in the London Marathon on behalf of IWA. There were a number of applications for the coveted place but Matthew was a strong candidate with six marathons behind him already! This will be his first time in the famous London event though. Matthew has been interested in canals since the age of twelve, following a family holiday on the waterways. He was finally able to purchase his own narrowboat eight years ago - a 30 ft boat named Spider. Matthew was Chair of Trustees for Friends of Cromford Canal for 15 months and a committee member for two further years. As a keen advocate of their work, all the money Matthew raises will go to IWA s Waterway Recovery Group to allow IWA to continue supporting restoration projects around the UK. You can stay updated with Matthew s training and progress on his Facebook page or read more about Matthew s marathon story and donate by visiting his Virgin Money Giving page, search Matthew Rogers on the home page. Searching for Beatrice Following on from the appeal in the early October edition of Bulletin, a number of people made contact to let us know what happened to the narrow boat Beatrice after it had been used for IWA campaigning activities while in the ownership of Peter Scott, the naturalist and early IWA member (later Sir Peter Scott) in the early 1950s. It was apparently Robert Aickman who encouraged Peter Scott to buy Beatrice... You can read Beatrice s full story - covering the history of the boat and its story before, during and after Peter Scott s ownership - on our blog pages. Cavalcade Needs You Come and join the team responsible for mounting one of the country s most successful and best attended waterways and community events. IWA Canalway Cavalcade has been held in the heart of the capital at Little Venice since 1983, over the three days of the May Day Bank Holiday. We are looking for enthusiastic IWA members in the following areas: Assistant Sponsorship Manager to assist with procuring sponsorship packages to support the festival expenditure; Assistant to the Catering Manager to assist in managing the day to day operational needs of a small group of quality outside caterers, most of whom have attended the festival over a number of years. No previous experience of catering or the catering trade is required; Assistant Site & Services Manager to assist with logistics, procurement and event planning leading up to and during the event. Preferably London based. If you re interested in any of these vacancies or have a few hours to spare before or during the event please contact: Jerry Sanders Commercial Director jerry.sanders@waterways. org.uk Or telephone: Trailboaters Looking for a Festival IWA is searching for a location and organiser for the 2018 National Trailboat Festival. To find out what is involved and what facilities are needed go to the IWA festival planning webpage. IWA Branch News IWA Northamptonshire Branch In the past few months IWA Northamptonshire Branch has held five work parties carrying out improvements on the adopted section of the Northampton Arm More about IWA - 3

4 such as: removing fence rubbish from Lock 1; painting locks and clearing the by-pass weir and channel; collecting over 40 bags of rubbish; working at Town Moorings, Northampton clearing vegetation; pulling various shopping trolleys, bicycles and other metal rubbish from the river front; using two tonnes of aggregate to fill in potholes; and planting approximately 1000 spring bulbs IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch met at Red Bull, Kidsgrove, Lock 42 on the Trent & Mersey Canal on Thursday 17th November. Six willing volunteers devoted the morning to litter picking on the Macclesfield Canal loop around Lock 42 and filled six large bags full of rubbish. IWA West Country Branch IWA members in Somerset were asked to support the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal by voting in-store at Tesco for a project which has successfully raised 10,000 to restore the waterway s historic pillboxes as part of Tesco s Bags for Help campaign. CRT is leading the project which will see the repair of these Second World War structures. Volunteers from IWA s West Country Branch will be involved with the conservation work, which could well be an on going work routine. Pillboxes are a common sight along the canal, after lines of the characteristic concrete structures were built during the Second World War as a defensive line against a German invasion. Manned by the Home Guard, the pillboxes guarded all the canal crossing points and are today poignant reminders of the period when an invasion was expected at any moment. The Bags for Help scheme, which is run by Tesco and environmental charity Groundwork, uses the proceeds generated from the sale of carrier bags in stores to create or improve green spaces in communities. IWA Peterborough Branch A productive work party was held by IWA Peterborough Branch on 30th November. Seven volunteers carefully removed 50 metres of brush and overhanging trees from Horseways channel which is the approach route to the section of Horseways channel and Welches Dam Lock. The north side, under EA management, is heavily overgrown and due to the amount of wildlife inhabiting the bank, the clearance has to be undertaken with hand tools and light mechanical equipment. The owner of the approach, the Middle Level Commissioners maintain the south side in good repair. Further work parties will take place on Wednesday 14th December, 11th January 2017, 25th January 2017, 8th February 2017 and 22nd February There will also be a weekend work party on 25th & 26th February IWA Chester & Merseyside Three volunteers with two CRT staff attended the work party on 6th December to install additional mooring rings at the site of the Dutton breach repair & close to Barnton tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal. As a result of trees that were cleared to enable the breach repair, Dutton has become a popular mooring spot with beautiful views across the Weaver Valley and towards the Welsh mountains. Some rings were installed at the time of the repair but popularity meant that more were required. An additional 16 rings were installed so that there is now a length of 200m with mooring ring provision. Between Barnton & Saltersford tunnels the safety bollards which mark the edge of the canal for road users were being ripped out by boats using them to moor. The work party installed 10 rings close to the Barnton tunnel as holding moorings and a further three rings to supplement the mooring provisions in the basin between the tunnels. This latest work party has been possible as a result of additional rings provided by CRT, in recognition of the mooring improvements already delivered by the Cheshire Ring Mooring Project. cheshirelocks Find out about volunteering - 4

5 Other Waterways News Campaigners Clock Up Success in Shardlow Following the campaign to retain the landmark Clock Warehouse and signage on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Shardlow, which was covered the Late November Bulletin, an update has been received from Marstons following representations from the public. Their Area Operations Manager has announced that the company had changed its mind and would retain the name The Clock Warehouse. He said We will be keeping the name of the Clock Warehouse and not changing it as originally planned. We have listened to our customers and our community and have taken your views on board. Marstons had already previously agreed to put back the sign Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey so IWA s Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Branch is delighted to announce the success of this campaign to preserve the look of this heritage site and would like to thank everyone who made direct contact with Marstons. Looking for the Last Cuckoo on the Chesterfield The Chesterfield Canal Trust has heard that it is a finalist in the bid for a grant from the Aviva Community Fund for an archaeological dig in Staveley next summer. The results will be anounce on 10th January The Last Cuckoo Project is a community history and archaeological project with a focus on the Chesterfield Canal at Bellhouse Lane, Staveley. The canal basin, now a small, insignificant patch of overgrown wasteland was once a thriving industrial complex with wharves, tramways, gas works and a lost, unique Chesterfield Canal narrowboat (cuckoo). The map record and tales of a buried cuckoo mark Bellhouse Lane basin as an important and interesting place worthy of archaeological investigation in order to document, record and understand fully the function of this once thriving industrial complex. In spring 2017 the canal trust proposes to undertake a detailed analytical study of the history of the area, with the intention of involving the whole community by collating maps, Chesterfield Canal Company data, historic photographs and collecting and compiling oral histories. During August 2017 it is hoped that excavation and recording of the basin area and the locating of the cuckoo will take place. About to Float a Boat as a Home of Your Own? Windfall Films have been commissioned to produce a second series of the TV programme My Floating Home. In the first series, aired on More4, the projects featured ranged from floating homes - static with no engine, to traditional houseboats, custom-built canal boats and self builds. One unusual vessel featured was a 70 by 12 wide beam in Nottingham which needed an extra large water holding tank as the specification included a bath for the master bedroom. Due to the popularity of this first series, the production team are now looking for an interesting, technically challenging new build or substantial conversion that will be starting soon. The plans should be unique, with unusual elements, locations or construction techniques. Planning permission and mooring agreements should be in place to be eligible for this opportunity. The person applying must be aiming to live on the vessel themselves and should be willing to be filmed on a regular basis. The programme will be following the project from inspiration, design, construction and location together with everyone involved. To be considered for My Floating Home apply by ing Windfall Films at myfloatinghome@windfallfilms.com. Lichfield Canal Weathers the Storm A 180 metre section of the Lichfield Canal which has been recently restored proved invaluable when Storm Angus and intense rainfall hit the south side of the city last week. IWA Campaigns Page - 5

6 Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust has been working closely with EA to allow water to be stored within the canal, but the extreme water run-off from Storm Angus resulted in the canal pound being filled in only a few hours, delaying the arrival of the floodwater peak downstream and reducing the flood risk. Regular walkers along the adjacent Heritage Towpath Trail, which also forms part of the Heart of England Way, were amazed at the sight of the canal pound filled with water for the first time in over 50 years. The Trust s engineering director Peter Buck said: Making space for floodwater and in particular natural flood management within the restored Lichfield Canal infrastructure has been a goal of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust for some time and is in line with recent government recommendations. The Trust will continue to collaborate with both EA and Staffs County Council flood risk team to ensure the Lichfield Canal plays an important and integral part in the floodwater management plan for the south of Lichfield to reduce flood risk downstream. This storm has demonstrated the benefits of storing flood water in this one pound of the Lichfield Canal and further contribution the completed canal will make when it is fully restored. The floodwater from Storm Angus stored within the canal pound is now draining down naturally through a temporary pipe, pending agreement of the final control structures with EA. Environment Agency is Getting Tough on the Thames Under new rules boaters on Thames Visitor Moorings have to register their arrival by phone or online and a private firm has been contracted to implement the regulations. Failure to follow the new rules could result in a 60 fine. During a 12 month trial which has just started a private company, Thames Visitor Moorings, has taken over responsibility for managing the moorings use and for collecting fees at 21 of the 22 visitor sites currently operated by the agency.the company will carry out spot checks along the non-tidal river. At present, boaters must register their arrival with the duty lock keeper, who can also take cash payments for any fees due. EA says this can cause problems if the lock keeper is off-duty, working off-site, busy with other duties, or if the boater doesn t have any cash to hand. EA said : The new arrangements are expected to boost the income we receive from visitor moorings and improve the ability to monitor usage and take enforcement action if necessary. The move comes three years after the agency introduced stricter rules based on private car park regulations at its moorings which allow a first night s mooring free of charge and a further two nights at 5. After that the charge is a 100 per night. For more information go to the Thames Visitor Moorings website. Increase in Use of Winter Moorings CRT is reporting that more boaters than ever before are taking up moorings for the season, with the number of winter mooring permits sold rising 15% year-onyear to 522 (2015: 454 permits). The Trust picked a range of winter mooring sites across the country to offer boaters a choice, which took into account boaters feedback on last year s winter mooring spots. This collaborative approach has meant that this year winter moorings have been taken up at 104 locations. Winter moorings provide a service for boaters who may not want to cruise as the nights grow longer, the weather can be uncertain or there may be maintenance stoppages. The proceeds from winter mooring sales go back into the waterways and this year 250,500 has been raised so far (2015: 183,000). Winter moorings are available until 31 March 2017, and a list of the sites and prices can be found on the CRT website. Bookings for the winter moorings can be made through the Trust s boat licensing site. More about IWA - 6

7 Cheshire Canal Adoption 100 Not Out Canal enthusiasts from the Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch Adopters celebrated their 100th volunteer canal work party, notching up 4,900 hours of volunteering, on Saturday 19 November with a special cake, followed by vegetation clearance at Aqueduct Marina, Church Minshull, Cheshire. The group was formed in April 2014 and even at the start the Adopters entered the record books by adopting five and a half miles of the Shropshire Union Canal Middlewich Branch from Barbridge Junction to Church Minshull in South Cheshire the longest adopted stretch of canal in England. Most adoption groups look after a mile or less. In just over two and half years, their numbers have grown to more than 50 volunteers, with around 25 men and women regularly turning out to help with each organised activity. Work has included towpath and canalside maintenance, vegetation control, painting and repairing locks, helping boaters, litter picks, adding waterside picnic tables, benches and barbeques, and planting fruit trees and shrubs. Their Clean for the Queen event in March resulted in a massive 12 mile litter pick from Calverley to Middlewich, involving 35 volunteers including Nantwich cubs. A major hedge-laying project near Venetian Marina was runner-up in the Trust s national Living Waterways Awards State of the Waterways Heritage Report CRT has today published its annual report into the state of the waterways heritage. Despite the devastating floods in the winter of 2015 progress had been made. As part of the 43.7 million spent on inspections and works to its waterways in 2015/16, the Trust carried out works on 194 listed or scheduled canal structures. CRT s record in conservation and legal compliance has been recognised with continued progress with Historic England and the Department for Communities and Local Government towards a National Listed Building Consent Order. The Order, the first of its kind, would allow the Trust to make repairs to its masonry and brick structures without having to gain individual consents, allowing repairs to be made more quickly and saving both time and money. The Report takes a closer look at the number of the Trust s assets that are on the Heritage at Risk registers. In the past year, James Bridge Aqueduct in the West Midlands was removed from the register after a programme of repair work. However the floods saw Stainton Aqueduct on the Lancaster Canal added, meaning the number of assets on the register remains stable at 24. There is positive news for the future as work progressed at Soulbury Pumphouse on the Grand Union, the Birmingham Roundhouse, Saul Junction Lock and Fox s Kiln at Gloucester Docks, and several of these could be removed from registers in 2016/17. Incidents that affected waterways heritage were down 25% on the previous year, with just under 800 recorded. The most common cause of damage was vandalism (38% with just under half involving graffiti), while a similar number of incidents involve damage caused by boats (34%) and 16% were caused by vehicles striking historic structures and, in particular, bridge parapets. The Waterways Heritage Report is available on the Trust s website. Broads Authority are Recruiting The Broads Authority are looking for a Director of Operations which is a senior role in the management of one of the finest and most important landscapes in Britain, the Broads National Park. The Director of Operations brings together all the practical work of the Broads Authority, integrating the conservation of the natural environment with its enjoyment by the public and the maintenance of the navigation area. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 30 December 2016 and interviews will be held at Yare House, Norwich on 25 January An application pack can be found on the Broads Authority website. If you would like to discuss this post prior to submitting an application please contact Lucy Pointer, Head of Human Resources on Waterway Events - 7

8 Upcoming Volunteer/ Cleanup Events To find out what branch activities and working parties are going on in your area have a look at IWA s events calendar. By volunteering for these clean up events you can make a big difference to your local waterway. You can also search by event type or find out what s going in on your area with the map search. To advertise your restoration/ cleanup events in the bulletin please add details to IWA s events calendar IWA Member Discounts and Special Offers The following special offers are now available exclusively for IWA members: Enjoy the Waterways Through Hire Boats and Leisure ABC Boat Hire - 15% discount on holidays Airedale Cruising, Yorkshire Dales BB18 6TP - 10% discount off skippered day cruises Blackwater Boats, Essex CO4 5HF - 10% discount off boat trips CanalCruising.co.uk - 10% discount Canal Boat Magazine - 12 issues for Gourmet Society Plus City Centre Cruises - 10% discount for Sunday lunch cruises Frangipani SUP Ltd - 10% discount Jenny Wren, London NW1 8QS - 10% discount off cruises Middlewich Narrowboats - 25% discount off hire price of Willow Wyvern Shipping Co. Ltd- 10% discount on published prices Eating Out Bounty Pub, Bourne End SL8 5RG - 10% discount off food Clifford Arms, Staffordshire ST18 0SR - 10% discount off food Fingerpost Pub & Restaurant, Pelsall WS3 5AU - 10% discount off food Kings Lock Tearooms, Leicester LE2 8LT - 10% discount off food Ring O Bells Pub, Marple SK6 7AY - 10% discount off food Three Locks Pub, Stoke Hammond MK17 9DD - 10% discount off food Wharf Pub, Bugbrooke NN7 3QB - 10% discount Better Value on Boats and Equipment Boatshed Grand Union - 10% discount on brokerage Boat Windows Ltd - 5% discount Calcutt Boats - 5% online discount Channel Glaze - 10% discount on double glazing Cotswold Outdoor - 10% discount IceGripper - Special offer on ladies walking boots Kings Lock Chandlery 5% discount on purchases excluding all fuels (diesel, gas, coal, wood, etc) Marine Mega Store Ltd - 15% discount Midland Chandlers - 5% discount RoadPro- 5% discount Solar Technology International- 10% discount on PV Logic Narrow Boat Kits & Foldup Panels Willowbridge Marina - 10% discount on chandlery purchases and services in the yard Zead - Free Postage & Accessories Services Europcar - Special hire rates to IWA members Forge Studio - 10% discount I Love Meet and Greet Ltd - 15% discount Lee Sanitation - 10% on orders over 100 Paper Wizard - 15% discount River Canal Rescue - up to 15% discount Wavetrain Marine - 5% discount on selected training Shop with us - 8

9 Please note: All discounts and offers are entirely at the organisers discretion. To see details of how to take advantage of these offers, please go to the IWA Members discount page. For IWA members who receive a printed copy of this bulletin in the post, please contact the membership team on for the details of the offers. Members can also support IWA with a Narrow Boat magazine subscription Boat Insurance IWA has an arrangement with insurers Navigators & General and River Canal Rescue that provides top quality boat insurance and access to the basic waterway rescue service for boat owners, with the added benefit that every policy taken out and subsequently renewed helps IWA, and thus furthers our charitable work for the waterways. See more information about the IWA insurance scheme for boaters Contact Us IWA Head Office, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Bulletin is edited by Marion Birch Published by: The Inland Waterways Association. Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Tel: The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no Registered as a charity no Join IWA from 2.55/month - 9