Boaters and businesses stranded by long waterway closure

BOATERS AND BUSINESSES are up in arms about the long closure of the Stratford Canal.

The month-long closure has left boaters' stranded and businesses out of pocket, Roger Fox reports. 

Only canal route into the city

The Stratford Canal is the only canal route into the city and is being closed leaving the city stranded as there is an issue with the lock gates on a Wilmcote Lock, on which contractors are now involved.

This of course has completely blocked all waterway traffic and in addition to boaters being stranded it is affecting businesses not only in Stratford but towns and villages all along the canal route.

The Canal & River Trust has extended the reopening date time and time again, causing anxiety and uncertainty as well as expense and loss of earnings to business.

Running out of essentials

There are increasing instances of boaters running out of water, food and fuel, with no help from the trust for the problems, only the response for boaters to watch its website for updates, that is of no use whatsoever without a finishing date being included.

There is the feeling both with boaters and businesses that there was obviously no urgency on the part of the trust to get the canal re-opened.

LATEST: We now learn that Wilmcote Locks will open this Friday (of course) 20th June.