Turning the canals into a linear park

I HAVE to admit I am tending to believe your contributor who maintains that Canal & River Trust is intending to turn the canals into a linear park for towpath users, writes Tom Redway.

They have closed three main ones down, using the 'excuse', and I use the term purposely, of shortage of water, though another contributor rightly told of the downpours we had and even the recent ones this week, so it does not ring true.

Toddbrook Reservoir

We cruised The Mac and Peak Forest last year with many others, with no problems, and no one is cruising them at all now yet they are closed through lack of water. The excuse of the Toddbrook Reservoir at Whaley Bridge failure was of course expected.

But it is by no means the main supplier of water to the two canals, as there are three others, and being near 'rainy' Manchester I just can't believe the reservoirs are as low as suggested.

I, and I am sure are others, are waiting for more to be closed.