MANCHESTER COUNCIL HAS BEEN blamed for the the Rochdale Canal being drained—twice.
But responds to the accusations, Janet Friend reports.
Complaining
Boaters have been complaining to Manchester Council about its failure to attend to the draining of a pound on the Rochdale Canal, that leaves boats stranded both on the canal and in a marina. The picture is of the drained pound last September.
The waterway drained completely last September and again this month, with Canal & River Trust blaming the council and suggesting the canal had drained owing to a failure of infrastructure on adjoining land owned by the council, its spokesman explaining:
Made aware
"We have been made aware that a culvert upstream of the Rochdale Canal in Miles Platting has failed, which has caused a small sink hole to open in land adjacent to the canal that has been fenced off for public safety. In turn, part of the canal bed has failed, which is why water levels have dropped.
"Canal & River Trust are undertaking temporary dam works at the fault on the Rochdale Canal that will allow water levels to rise again. In the meantime, the council is working with a number of partner organisations to establish responsibility for the issue and to make sure the underlying fault is repaired as quickly as possible."