Mon & Brec to remain closed?

WITH the increasing frequency of asset and infrastructure failure since since Canal & River Trust (CaRT) succeeded British Waterways, an announcement that that the Mon & Brec at Llanfoist (between bridges 93 and 97) was closed for safety reasons on 7th January due to embankment movement has passed almost unnoticed, writes Allan Richards.

Further announcement

Also unnoticed, was a further announcement more than two weeks later stating that repairs will commence and hoping that the canal will reopen on 10th March. Ominously, the second announcement suggests ‘We are continuing to monitor the canal at this location . . . .'.

Is it actually conceivable that this waterway will not reopen?

Twin threat

It was almost two years ago that narrowboatworld reported the twin threat to the Mon & Brec. An internal British Waterways report stated that the waterway had no less than 300 known leaks and that it needed up to £60m spending on in. Even relining the highest risk section (already partly relined as a result of a major breach in 2007) would cost in the region of £20m.

The second threat documented was to the Mon & Brec's water supply with proposed abstraction restrictions from the Usk leading to closure at peak times.

Only £10m

Despite the poor state of this waterway, CaRT only intends to spend a maximum of £10m on it over the next ten years. That's just £1m per year. It is hoping that the government and people of Wales will find a similar amount.

At a Defra grant review meeting in June 2013, CaRT's Finance Director, Philip Ridal, presented a report defining some 30 risks to CaRT's corporate plan. Two of those risks were seen to be higher than the others. One was increasing environmental regulation. The Usk abstraction restrictions were given as the sole example.

Significant consequences

The other high risk was ‘effective use of resources and partnerships' where CaRT's strategic priority is ‘maintaining our canals and rivers, keeping them open and accessible for everyone'. [The photograph well illustrates the lack of dredging even at lock moorings.]

The risk here defined as embankment failure on the Mon & Brec which the report suggests could have significant consequences on CaRT's reputation, costs and people safety. The report also gives as a risk, the continual draw on its finances due to the need to stabilise this waterways embankments!

Risk too great

The report states the Mon & Brec would be closed where the risk was too great despite any reputational, political or customer service impact.

How is it that less than a year after it was formed CaRT is telling government that it might close a navigable waterway?

Will it reopen?

So will the Mon & Brec reopen on the 10th March as planned, having been closed on safety grounds? The answer is probably yes, unless the cost of repair escalates.

However, what will happen next time? . . . . or the time after?