Twin threat to Mon & Brec

Published: Wednesday, 08 February 2012

THREE winters after the reopening of the Monmouthshire  & Brecon Canal (Mon & Brec) due to its breach, it is in a parlous state with 300 known leaks.

British Waterways state that relining the waterway is needed to make a significant difference to its propensity for leakage and breaching, writes Allan Richards.

However, this will cost in the region of £60m. Even lining just the high risk section of the waterway (already part relined as a result of the 2007 breach) would cost in the order of £20m.

Dredging

And then there is the problem with lack of dredging. Boating customers complain of lack of depth on the Mon & Brec. British Waterways claim that the instability of the canal bed reduces its ability to dredge. Put another way, British Waterways are saying, dredging may increase leakage and risk of another breach.

Despite this, it is understood that a small amount of dredging will take place this winter.

A further threat

For 200 years the main water supply for the canal has been taken from the Usk at Brecon. However, under the Habitats Regulations Directive affecting the Usk Special Area for Conservation, the Environment Agency have proposed abstraction restrictions from the river that would seriously affect the canal requiring the closure of large sections at peak time on a regular basis.

Although Welsh Water has spare capacity in their Usk Reservoir sufficient to compensate for loss of supply from the river they have refused to consider making any available.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, due to the high costs involved, British Waterways suggest that relining the canal would not reduce its water extraction requirement sufficiently to prevent regular closure of the canal.

Plans

Whilst British Waterways have put forward a four point plan to deal with the twin Mon & Brec problems of structural integrity and water supply, this does not seem to include them actually spending £60m (or even £20m) to provide it with a sustainable future.

No doubt when the canal breaches again, as it surely will, it will be left to the Welsh Government to find the money.

Currently, about two thirds (35 miles) of the Mon & Brec is navigable with British Waterways responsible for its maintenance. The lower third, is owned by local authorities and under active restoration by the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Restoration Partnership.

However, efforts being made to restore the southern end of the waterway are being jeopardised by British Waterways' unwillingness to spend money on the section already navigable and a threat to its water supply.

2007 breach

It was in October 2007, that the serious breach of the canal occurred near Gilwern, causing a number of houses to be evacuated with eight people rescued by emergency services. Two families were provided with temporary accommodation due to extensive damage to property. The breach also caused the closure of the A4077 between Crickhowell and Gilwern and left 23 hire boats stranded.

Whilst the main road was reopened within a week, this was not the case for the Mon & Brec which remained closed for over a year whilst a full geotechnical survey was carried out and the breach repaired.

Leakage

The preliminary results of that survey showed over 90 leaks in the section of waterway from Talybont to Gilwern, with other leakage on the section from Llanover to Goytre Wharf.

At the time, British Waterways stated that it would cost about £15m to fix the breach and carry out other top priority work. The plan was to have the canal made safe and reopened in 2009 but to carry out further work over the next three winters

The Mon & Brec did reopen in 2009. However, recent reports suggest that British Waterways only spent £8m as a result of the 2007 breach not the £15m planned.

For whom the bell tolls

This is the year that the Mon & Brec celebrates its bicentenary, and this Friday, on February 10th, celebrations will begin with the 'ringing of the bells' at thirty five local churches, recreating the Mon & Brec's opening ceremony 200 years ago.

Will the bells actually be ringing to celebrate 200 years of the Mon & Brec or is it more a case of 'for whom the bell tolls?'