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BARNSLEY CANALS CONSORTIUM

Project Brief

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE RESTORATION OF THE BARNSLEY, DEARNE AND DOVE CANALS

Client: Barnsley Dearne and Dove Canals Trust on behalf of the Barnsley Canals Consortium.

Introduction

1.1 The Barnsley Canals Consortium was established in May 2001, but currently has no legal status. Its Memorandum of Understanding is attached as Appendix A. Its aim is ‘To link the River Calder with the River Don via a navigable inland waterway in order to regenerate the area economically, environmentally and socially’.

1.2 The Barnsley Canal Group was formed in April 1984 and changed its name to the Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals Trust in February 2000. Its Memorandum of Understanding is attached as Appendix B.

1.3 The Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals Trust (henceforth called the Trust) is a private company limited by guarantee (No. 2600350) and not having any share capital. It is a registered charity (No.1002651). Its purpose is, inter alia, to preserve and restore the Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals for the use and general benefit of the public.

Client’s Representatives

2.1 Malcolm Macaskill 8 The Mount, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 1ND. Tel. 01977-703874. E-mail: [email protected]

Michael Silk The Homestead, 22 Cyprus Avenue, St. John’s, Wakefield, WF1 2RT. Tel. 01924 373866. E-mail: [email protected].

Background

3.1 The Barnsley Canal. The Aire & Calder Navigation Co. began planning a canal to Barnsley in 1792, to bring out the high quality coal from Silkstone. The first section from Heath Lock, Wakefield – now the site of a demolished power station - on the River Calder was opened in 1799. The remaining 4 miles from Barnsley to Barnby Basin was completed in 1802. The canal was 16 miles long with 20 locks and in its heyday moved 291,000 tons of coal a year. It was closed after subsidence caused a burst at Littleworth in 1946 and legally abandoned in 1953. The original aqueduct over the River Dearne on the outskirts of Barnsley was demolished in 1954. Since then, of the original 16 miles, about half is in water or in reasonable condition, 6 miles are filled but unobstructed, and the remainder is filled and obstructed by developments of various kinds. Most of the bridges have been lowered or filled in. Most locks will require reconstruction or relocation.

3.2 The Dearne & Dove Canal. Following an unsuccessful attempt to make the River Dearne navigable to Barnsley, the Don Navigation Co. and the Aire & Calder Navigation Co. agreed to join their canals just south of Barnsley at Hoyle Mill. The Canal was fully opened in 1804 and runs 10 miles from Swinton Lock, on the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, to Lock 19 on the Barnsley Canal. It has a main line 10 miles long with 18 locks. There were also branches to Elsecar and Worsborough. By 1830 the canal was carrying 181,000 tons annually. The Worsborough Branch closed in 1906, the Elsecar branch in 1928 and the main line in 1934. The Canal is poorly preserved, suffering from a number of developments on its original line.

3.3 Both canals were built as a “wide canal” to accommodate boats with maximum dimensions of 14ft 1Oin beam. The Dearne and Dove Canal had locks capable of taking boats 58ft by 14ft 10in approximately and an original depth of 5ft 6in. The Barnsley Canal was originally built to accommodate boats 58ft by 14ft 10in with a 5ft depth, but later the locks were modified to take boats 79ft long and the canal depth was increased to 7ft.

3.4 The Barnsley Canal was originally supplied with water from Wintersett Reservoir supplemented by Cold Hiendly Reservoir in 1854. The Dearne and Dove Canal was supplied with water from reservoirs at Worsborough and Elsecar.

3.5 Statutory Planning Policy background to canal restoration/preservation is provided by the respective Unitary Development Plans (UDP) of the four local authorities through which the original canal alignment passes. Barnsley MBC’s UDP is currently subject to review. The replacement Plan will take the form of a “Local Development Framework”, as outlined in the Planning Green Paper (2002), to cover the period 2001-2016. A key element of the LDF will be the interface with “Re-Making Barnsley” – a 30-year development framework, or Vision, for the regeneration of the Borough. The UDP’s for Wakefield, Doncaster and Rotherham are subject to a similar review.

3.6 The Consortium’s aim is to protect, conserve and improve the route of the Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals and its branches, for the benefit of the community and the environment, with the ultimate goal of restoring a continuous navigable waterway. The Consortium believes that the canals are largely still in restorable condition in rural areas, albeit silted up, overgrown and in places obstructed by road crossings. Where the canal passes through towns and villages, the original line has been subject to much redevelopment and radical solutions may be necessary.

3.7 To demonstrate the benefits of restoration to the community and to improve local amenity, a short length of the Elsecar branch has been restored largely using volunteer labour, a section near the aqueduct at Hoyle Mill has been restored under a Work Creation Project, and in the Royston and Carlton area work has been done on the towpath – now part of the Transpennine Trail. The Consortium has received increasing support for this work from local councils, the Environment Agency and from a number of charities and other funding agencies. The Consortium has now decided that the time has come to commission a study of the feasibility of restoration of the whole Canal.

3.8 A number of relevant studies and publications are included in the information pack and these are listed at the end of this document. They include the two surveys produced by the Barnsley Canal Group into the Barnsley Canal (see Appendix C) and the Dearne and Dove Canal (see Appendix D). They give additional background material and suggest alternative routes in places where restoration of the canal was seen as problematic. In addition, a study into the Development potential of the Barnsley Canal was carried out by Hall Aitken Associates. This is attached as Appendix E.

3.9 More recently a study commissioned by the Royston and Carlton Community Partnership into the neglected state of the Barnsley Canal in that area has been produced, and this is included as Appendix F.

Aim of the Study

4.1 To ensure that restoration of the Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals either on their existing line or any alternative alignments, is included within the Local Development Frameworks or local regeneration strategies being produced in all the local authorities’ areas that the canals run through or may run through.

Objectives of the study

5.1 The objectives of the study are to:

a) Review planning and related development policy, robustly identifying statutory and non-statutory constraints and opportunities.

b) Review the principal difficulties to be faced in restoring the Canal and to consider how these difficulties might best be overcome.

c) Consider the best means and sequence of carrying out the restoration works and where there is a choice, identify the optimum route.

d) Review the viability of including the arms of the canal to Elsecar and Worsborough, as well as the remaining section of the main line of the Barnsley Canal to Barnby Basin.

e) Review the water requirements of the restored Canal and the best means of providing the necessary water resources,

f) Review the economic assessment carried out by British Waterways (see Appendix G) and assess the benefits of restoration to the local community, as well as regionally and nationally.

f) Investigate the environmental impacts of restoration, assessing the environmental enhancements achievable and suggesting mitigation measures where an adverse impact is likely. To include an Envirocheck process or similar and appropriate interpretation.

g) Provide an estimate of the cost of restoration for separate sections of the Canal, or the phasing of the works if this emerges as an appropriate way forward.

h) Review appropriate funding opportunities.

Scope of Study

6.1 The study is to cover the main line of the Barnsley Canal as far as lock 16 at Barugh (about 14 miles from the River Calder and 2 miles beyond the junction with the Dearne and Dove Canal), the Dearne and Dove Canal as well as its branches. See plan at Appendix H.

6.2 Where the Canal is obstructed by development, the Consultant shall review various options for dealing with the situation; these shall include restoration along the original route, restoration along previously identified alternative route(s) and restoration along other routes that appear to the Consultant to be practicable.

6.3 The Consultant is not required to investigate land ownership. Where it is necessary to enter private land for the purposes of the study, the Consultant shall make his own arrangements with the landowner and do so under his own liability. Details of land ownership, where known to the Client, is included at Appendix I for Wakefield district and Appendix J for Barnsley district. At the request of the Consultant, the Consortium will provide an open letter explaining the scope of the study, copies of which he may give to landowners affected.

6.4 Water resources shall be reviewed in consultation with the Environment Agency, and if necessary, the regional water supplier. This aspect of the study shall consider surface and ground water supplies, including runoff from major paved surfaces, reuse of treated effluents and possibilities for storage within or outside the Canal and of back pumping. The impact of restoration on water quality, land drainage, flood management and wildlife habitats are to be included.

6.5 The Study shall include sufficient engineering detail, including all critical dimensions and levels, to permit realistic estimates of the costs of the works proposed. All cost estimates shall be based on the assumption that the works will be carried out by commercial contract awarded through competitive tendering at prices current on the submission date of the final report of this study. The Consultant will indicate those works that can be undertaken by voluntary groups and the cost savings that would be achieved.

6.6 The assessment of the environmental impacts of restoration shall be based upon a data search along the route corridor on environmentally sensitive sites e.g. national, district and local designations and a walk over (initial outline baseline) survey of the Canal route and its environs examining biodiversity, nature conservancy, landscape character and water quality.

6.7 The study shall undertake an assessment of the heritage value of the canals, examining built heritage, archaeology and access.

6.8 The study shall assess the viability and implications of full or partial restoration/preservation of the canal in the context of:

• Development Plan reviews in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster, and Wakefield. These reviews will take the form of Local Development Frameworks under new Government guidance for Development Plans • Development Strategy for “Re-Making Barnsley” • National guidance, in particular Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 • Potential development contributions • Regional Planning Guidance and the forthcoming Draft Regional Spatial Strategy

(Relevant sections from these documents are included in Appendix K)

In this context, the consultant will be required to (a) Make recommendations regarding LDF text. (b) Identify a preferred alignment for any restoration option, at an appropriate scale – using a format that can be imported into the supporting plans/diagrams for the LDF. Preparation of Barnsley’ s LDF will be taking place simultaneously with the Study, and there will need to be close liaison between council staff and the consultant regarding the Study outputs.

6.9 Benefits shall be assessed in terms of user visits and enjoyment value, additional income attracted to the area, increased employment, enhancement of property values etc, so that the benefits of restoration can be compared with those of other public investments in the area.

6.10 The consultant will be expected to provide an up to date summary of possible sources of and opportunities available for obtaining the necessary funding for the proposed works.

6.11 The standards to be adopted in the study are as follows:

(a) Craft – maximum size - Dearne and Dove Canal - length 58ft 0in (17.73m). - Barnsley Canal - length 70ft (21.4m). - IWA Standard of 22m to be adopted where new locks are being provided on the main canal lines or where locks can be adapted at very low cost. For both canals - beam 14ft 10in (4.5m). - draught 4ft 6in (1.4m).

(b) Channel: - bed width 10.7m (or as original construction) minimum width at locks 4.7m (or as original construction) minimum width at bridges 4.7m (or as original construction) towpath width 3m minimum depth 1.5m ` freeboard 0.3m minimum air draught, 2.4m min. or as original construction 3m.

(c) Level of use. This should be estimated from levels of use of similar British Waterways' canals, taking account of any restrictions revealed by the engineering study, and of the levels of demand indicated by the benefits study.

(d) Water supplies should be adequate to cope with the effects of a 1 in 10 year drought.

6.12 The Consultant shall obtain information on all utilities crossing, or passing near to, the Canal and shall estimate the costs of re-routeing them where necessary.

6.13 The study shall summarise overall conclusions on the feasibility and viability of complete or partial restoration of the canals. This should be in terms of the economic and social benefits, the capital and running costs, environmental impact and benefits, and sources of funding.

6.13 During the course of the study the Consultant shall consult the following bodies:

1. The Planning, Engineering, Economic Development, and Recreation departments of City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (MDC), Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC), Rotherham MBC, and Doncaster MBC. 2. The Water Resources, Land Drainage and FRCN departments of the Environment Agency – Yorkshire and the Humber. 3. Yorkshire Water. 4. Dearne and Dove Drainage Board. 5. Department for Transport. 6. Network Rail. 7. Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals Trust. 8. Wakefield First Development Agency. 9. Calder Future Wakefield. 10. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. 11. Wakefield Biodiversity Group. 12. Barnsley Biodiversity Group. 13. Calder Navigation Society. 14. West Yorkshire Archaeology. 15. South Yorkshire Archaeology. 16. Barnsley Development Agency (Doncaster/Wakefield). 17. Yorkshire Forward. 18. South Yorkshire Forum (consists of representatives from Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield & Rotherham Councils). 19. Yorkshire & Humberside Government Regional Office. 20. The Regional Assembly. 21. British Waterways. 22. Inland Waterways Association. 23. English Nature. 24. Countryside Agency. 25. Ramblers Association. 26. Cycle Touring Club. 27. Sustrans. 28. Parish/Town Councils on route. 29. English Tourist Board. 30. IWAAC 31. UK Coal. 32. RSPB 33. Community partnerships along the route of the canal.

The above list is not intended to be exhaustive. Other groups or bodies that are deemed to have an involvement in the future of the canal may need to be contacted as appropriate.

Contract Conditions

7.1 The contract shall be carried out in accordance with the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE) Agreement D, except where this conflicts with the clauses below.

7.2 The Consultant shall work within statutory obligations and shall inform the Client’s Representative of any statutory obligations that may for any reason be infringed as a result of the work or any works that it might lead to.

7.3 The Consultant shall report to, and only accept instructions from, the Client’s Representative. The Client’s Representative will advise the Consultant on the extent to which interim work and related documents can be revealed to other bodies and persons.

7.4 The Consultant shall provide progress reports in a format to be agreed, to the Consortium on a monthly basis for monitoring purposes, and an interim report if requested. The draft final report, and the final report shall be in electronic Word or PDF format and a version on a CD. All reports shall be produced such that text and drawings can be legibly copied in monochrome.

7.5 There shall be an embargo on publicity by either Consultant or Client except with the full agreement of the other party.

7.6 Ownership of all work, including the utilities information referred to in paragraph 6.12, shall be vested in the Client; the Client will have a right of access to this property, if held by the Consultant or others, during and after the term of the contract; this clause replaces Clause 7.1 of ACE Agreement D.

7.7 All references made by the Consultant to publications or to the work of other bodies or individuals should be clearly identified and briefly described in the Consultant’s report.

Appendices

Appendix A Memorandum of Understanding of the Barnsley Canals Consortium.

Appendix B Memorandum of the Barnsley, Dearne and Dove Canals Trust.

Appendix C The Barnsley Canal – a forgotten waterway? A survey of its condition, history and possible future. The Barnsley Canal Group.

Appendix D The Dearne and Dove Canal: A survey of the Dearne and Dove Canal its condition, its history and its possible future. The Barnsley Canal Group.

Appendix E Development Potential Scoping Study by Hall Aitken Associates. May 1998. (To follow)

Appendix F The Barnsley Canal Between Midland Road and Church Hill. Report for Royston and Carlton Community Partnership. April 2004.

Appendix G Economic Benefit Assessment. January 2000. British Waterways Market Research.

Appendix H Plan of study corridor with route of canal depicted.

Appendix I Extract from the Barnsley Canal Study – Wakefield MDC. 1994. The whole document can be viewed at the Development Department offices of Wakefield MDC, Newton Bar Wakefield.

Appendix J Sections of the canal owned by Barnsley Council. Three plans numbered 1 to 3. Barnsley MBC. 2003.

Appendix K Relevant extracts from PPG 13 and the UDP’s for Barnsley and Wakefield.