Promised to check for pollution

I AM WRITING as I am involved with the site in Hereford referred to in the above referenced [Promised canal restoration is toxic waste dump] article in narrowboatworld, tells Tony Higgins.

There is nothing essentially incorrect in the article but I did want to say that Stonewater have promised to check for pollution in the soil/rubbish that has been dumped on the line of the canal, to remove it, and to landscape the resulting flat area. Both the council, ourselves in the Canal Trust and also the volunteers from the Aylestone Park Association intend, very much, to hold Stonewater to that promise.

Further problem

What lies beneath and which may leach out is a further problem. A number of environmental surveys have been undertaken since 2007 when the development was originally proposed and the result of these was to ‘cap’ the crap at the bottom of the canal cutting and to be able to go ahead with building the houses next to the line of the canal.

The Canal Trust intention is to work with the council and hopefully be able to raise the money to survey again at the required depth and also to monitor the quality of the water emanating from the site along towards Aylestone Park in the bit of canal that is currently in water.

[Tony Higgins—Trustee Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust.]