THE very long-running plans to extend the Grand Union Canal into Daventry has come to nought as its Town Council have finally opposed the plans.
Though there had been support for the extension bringing the waterway right into the town, the local Labour Party has been against it, with protesters marching through the town in April showing their opposition to money being spent on a new canal arm whilst the town centre is failing, and is therefore more worthy of the money, Alan Tilbury tells us.
Special meeting
A special meeting was organised by Daventry Town Council that considered the amended planning application for the canal, which would run from the Grand Union along eastern edge of Daventry Country Park, and link up with a waterfront development on the Eastern Way playing field.
But council members voted unanimously against the amendments which reduced the number of bridges required, with fears that ongoing costs of the scheme would have to be borne by residents of both Daventry and the surrounding district for the long term maintenance of a public waterway.
Seriously deficient
The proposal for this extension has been a very long running saga with Daventry Town Council totally opposed but Daventry District Council wanting the canal. In 2011 no one would admit responsibility for the plans that were not to the satisfaction of West Northants Development Corporation, which had to assess and approve them, stating that they are 'seriously deficient'.
Lift or wheel
It was way back in July 2009 that the Daventry Canal Association was formed, with rather grandiose ideas of either a boat lift or a wheel similar to Falkirk Wheel instead of locks into the town, but the members of the association had little idea of the cost involved, for when they were realised, both schemes were immediately scrapped.
Opposition rumbled on over the years at the cost of the scheme, particularly that of the number of bridges that would be needed, with the first big protest in May 2011. Though the number of bridges had been reduced in the latest plans, there was never any real figure put on the actual cost of constructing the waterway.
But the Town Council has now finished it all off—deciding that there will be no Arm into Daventry, but money spent on the town itself.