HS2 withdraws objection to Chesterfield Canal restoration plans

HS2 has withdrawn its objection regarding the Chesterfield Canal restoration plans.

Agreement has been reached between the company building the new high speed line to Leeds after the Chesterfield Canal Trust was concerned of the lack of height of the bridges over the canal that would not allow for navigation.

Restoration safe

This agreement means the restoration of the 1.6 mile section from Staveley to Renishaw that was to have the low lying railway bridges will now be safe, as other methods of infrastructure will be used.

It was last year that the trust submitted a planning application to restore the rest of the waterway which falls within Chesterfield Borough, but HS2 opposed the application stating the  two projects were ‘incompatible’.

Level too high

HS2 maintained the water level in the canal would be too high to enable a bridge to be built to allow building the access to a planned maintenance depot on the old Staveley Works site.  After further negotiations an agreement was reached that would leave space for both the canal and the HS2 line.

However, it is now doubtful if the spur will reach Leeds, as plans are being proposed to end the line in Nottingham.