Wendover extension halted

THE proposed extension to the Wendover Canal has been halted after ground contamination was discovered.

Lottery funding had already been agreed to restore nearly two miles of disused waterway, that connects to the Grand Union Canal, but has been withdrawn when preliminary investigation discovered serious ground contamination.

Still in water

The funding of £1.9m had been agreed to enable the restoration of the disused length from the present terminus at Tringford to Aston Clinton, that would connect the section beyond that is still in water.

However it was found that a section at Little Tring, that had been infilled with rubbish, was discovered to be noxious, that would have to be removed and taken to a licenced dump which would incur a landfill tax that would come at great expense, so both the Wendover Arm Trust and Canal & River Trust had little choice but to withdraw the lottery bid.

The two trusts' have little money to spare to meet the extra cost, but are looking at ways to overcome the difficulty in the future, possibly in the form of a new lottery bid.