The Magazine of the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Issue No. 84 - Summer 2015 Members of the public join a walk, organised by LHCRT and IWA, to view the new Lichfield Canal restoration site at Summerhill and listen to Peter Buck waxing lyrical about the construction of a staircase to cross the M6 Toll Aqueduct (15th July). ay Wha eeth rf L tr Lichfield td S Heart of the Coventry Canal . TEL:01543 414808 MOBILE:0782 4848444 FAX:01543 414770 www.streethaywharf.co.uk 7-DAY CALL OUT SERVICE GEN SETS FITTED DIESEL AND SOLID FUEL STOVES FITTED BOTTOM BLACKING REPAINTING AND SIGNWRITING NEW BOATS FULL & PART FIT-OUT SUPPLIED ALL MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL WORK FULL CHANDLERY STRETCHING AND REBOTTOMING GAS SAFE. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ALL STEEL WORK AND TANKS Support the boat yard on the “Lichfield Ring” Boat Transport, England, Europe Cranage Arranged Site Surveys Complete Service for DIY Repairs Boat Hire Boat Fitting Diesel Pump Out Mooring Boat Sales Laundry Trent & Mersey Canal V.A.T No. 133609427 Chairman’s Column The AGM 2015 has come and gone where we could tell a stirring tale of success and progress. It was good to see so many members in the hall all of whom were ay Wha most supportive of the work of their Trust. I think it is the first AGM I have chaired eth rf where there were no questions from the floor which I hope signifies satisfaction with re L the work of the board and the directors over the year ended 31st December 2014. It t td was good to receive two substantial donations in the course of the evening. S . A full house at this years AGM, 5-June After the formal business we welcomed David Penny from the Gloucester and Hereford who entertained and informed us about the almost parallel world of canal restoration which his Trust pursues. Where most restorations concentrate, as does L&H, on rebuilding and re-watering chunks of derelict canal he advocates a far more commercial approach which involves property development and even the purchase and operation of a pub and restaurant. While your directors are not immediately thinking about emulating this scheme it gave us all plenty to think about. While our engineers are very happy to be imaginative and even daring there are no plans to run a fully watered canal between the platforms of a railway station. Even so, there are still users of M6 Toll who cannot envisage how we can get boats up to that aqueduct. When we started on this restoration we needed fertile imaginations as we had little else to build on in those days. Now, as the directors were able to report to the AGM, there are some very detailed and realisable projects in hand. Not least among these is the rerouting of the Lichfield Canal at Huddlesford in the wake of HS2. Cut Both Ways Summer 2015 3 Chairman’s Column The plans for this, and the whole redesign of the railway around Lichfield, have now gone to Parliament and there seems to be little reason why they will be opposed. HS2 Ltd is committed to constructing the new channel and, we are confident, without cost to L&H. While it will be sad to see “our” Cappers Bridge demolished after such a short life it is a price worth paying if it ensures that we have a fully navigational route from the Junction to Lock 30. We must be eternally grateful to our own negotiating team of Peter Buck and David Dixon for committing long hours to achieving this objective. Thanks must also go to Vaughan Welch and Phil Sharpe, plus members of IWA and CRT. We hope that our friends at Lichfield Cruising Club are also able to achieve what they need from their discussions with HS2. At Summerhill our contractors have installed the replacement culvert just to the east of the aqueduct and work has continued to ensure that the Heritage Towpath Trail can soon become fully operational. Working with the owners of the quarry an electricity supply cable has been installed under the towpath with an eye to the future when pumps will be required for the deep lock by the aqueduct. Working with M6Toll Ltd protective shields will be installed on the aqueduct to ensure that anti-social behaviour cannot endanger motorists below. Meanwhile discussions continue with the developers who will be building properties alongside or close to the canal and southern bypass. We have adopted a co-operative approach with these business interests so that we can influence designs and maximise any benefits to the canal restoration. We have long-since decided that it is not our role to influence national or local planning policies and that, as with HS2, our duty is to protect and enhance the canal route. With three large developments in prospect there is much for us to watch and influence. Allied to the projected developments between London and Birmingham Roads is the extension of the bypass under the busy Birmingham railway line which will require extensive and expensive engineering works. For operational and cost reasons the creating of a tunnel for the canal close to the road crossing must be carried out in sequence. At one time there was the prospect of single tunnel for both road and canal but this is not feasible. Therefore the Trust faces a substantial bill, well above £2million within the next two years. This is, hopefully, our last “showstopper” but it is an enormous challenge which we must face very soon. I sometimes reflect that the Trust was only created in the nick of time, even if that was a quarter of a century ago. Had it happened later we would have stood no chance of installing the aqueduct, building culverts under motorways and protecting the route of the canal. I understand that in industry the mantra is for deliveries to be “Just in time”. This seems also to be the case with restoration projects but it does make for an exceedingly exciting life. Everything I have covered this far has been in the realm of “special projects” but elsewhere along the line work goes on as before. At Tamworth Road the lining work ahead of re-watering continues. The slipway for trailboats has been completed and improvements have been made to the wheelchair-friendly section of the Towpath Trail. Cut Both Ways Summer 2015 4 Chairman’s Column During the current “growing” season the pressure is on to keep summer growth in check, a task which gets ever more demanding as work on ever-lengthening sections. Just as we cannot leave our own lawns untended for fear of the neighbours, so the Trust must keep its own vegetation in order. Anyone who enjoys scrub bashing and gardening please step forward and join our team. On the Hatherton we continue to monitor the plans to electrify the Chase Line to ensure that we can navigate our canal beneath it. We owe it to the people of Cannock Chase District and South Staffordshire District to progress the restoration of their canal. We were honoured to receive a cheque for £1,117.60 which was raised by the retiring Chairman of Cannock Chase Council who made L&H one of his two charities during his year in office. There are so many projects which we must now take forward as a matter of urgency. The AGM showed what we have done but more importantly we must rise to the challenge of what is still to be done. Brian Kingshott(chairman) HS2 : Update On 13th July, shortly before CBW 83 went to press, the government issued amendments called “Additional Provisions” (AP) to the HS2 Parliamentary Bill, and a revised Environmental Statement (ES). Parts of both are relevant to the Trust, in giving effect to the government decision to lower the proposed route at Cappers Lane where it crosses our canal route. The new design incorporates a diversion of some 250 metres from the original route, slightly to the east. It will also, once construction begins in 2018 if the Bill becomes law and the government goes ahead with the project, involve demolition of the “new” Cappers Lane Bridge over the canal, after a life of only 12 years since being built with the Trust’s close involvement. (Cappers Lane itself will also be diverted to cross HS2 a little further north). The new canal route has been designed by HS2 based on an alignment first proposed by the Trust’s Engineering Director, Peter Buck and developed by their engineers in conjunction with Peter. It remains for the Trust to agree with HS2 revised written assurances based on those negotiated last October which enabled us to withdraw our petition against the Bill. David Dixon (Vice-Chairman and Land Officer) The views expressed in Cut Both Ways do not necessarily represent those of the Trust or the Editor. They are however published as being of interest to our readership. Cut Both Ways Summer 2015 5 Donations to the Trust We gratefully acknowledge the following donations for amounts over £20 from 1st April to 30th June 2015. Suchet, Trust & Restoration Feet of Clay Name ( in order of receipt ) Marketing and Land Fund Appeals Mr R Kirman 30.00 TDHA Ltd (Mr S Hodgkiss) 1,500.00 IWA Notts & Derby Branch (talk) 40.00 Mr J C Morris 160.00 Mr J E Wood 317.00 Mr M G Brown 70.00 Mr E Adams 50.00 Swinfen Beaver Group site visit, 7.50 pocket money donations Miss C R Freeman (500 Club prize) 50.40 Dr J R Massy 500.00 Easyfundraising 70.15 anonymous 1,000.00 Mr R J Fenton (with sub.) 30.00 Mr J J Faulkner 30.00 Mr J W Farren (with sub.) 50.00 Mr J N Potts (with sub.) 44.00 Mr P J Smith (with sub.) 44.00 Mr D W Smith (with sub.) 25.00 Mr J A Sullivan (with sub.) 25.00 Mr P R Swindale (with sub.) 55.00 The Fundraising Co.