Middlewich development stops
THE massive development by the side of the Big Lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Middlewich has stopped, as many of the houses and flats already built are still without buyers.
The development stretched from the side of the Big Lock pub right along the waterfront of the canal, with more development behind, but at the moment there is no activity whatsoever, though foundations for further properties have been laid.
If is of course all part of the current financial situation affecting a great deal of development, coupled with the collapse of the buy to rent market.
British Waterways taken out of state control and into a trust
Shooting and stabbing on the towpaths
Over the past few days, in addition to the muggings, which we now rarely report, a man has been stabbed on the Regents Canal and another shot in the thigh on the Grand Union Canal.
The man who was knifed, saw two Asian youths fiddling with the ropes of a narrowboat moored on the Regents Canal at Islington, and he remonstrated with then, upon which they turned and attacked him, one stabbing him with a knife, then they both fled away on bikes on the upgraded towpath.
A passer-by called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital, though his wounds were not life threatening.
The man who was shot was on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal near Leamington, when he felt pain in his thigh and saw blood, realising he had been shot.
We learn this is a common occurrence around the waterway, as there is someone with a gun taking pot shots at passers-by on the towpath. The man required surgery at Warwick Hospital.
The idiocracy that is BW licensing
HOT on the heels of the complaint of the workings of British Waterways' licensing department by Ray Watkins (emails) threatened by its attitude, comes another.
Willington boater's death was accidental
THE death of Des Hutton who died after falling in the Trent & Mersey Canal at Willington was accidental, it was ruled by Coroner Dr Robert Hunter at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner’s Court, though alcohol had a bearing.
£200,000 safety fence for canal
BECAUSE Wayne Bonner fell into the Rochdale Canal in Manchester's Gay Village, £200,000 is to be spent on a 3ft 6in high post and rail fence even though there is already an existing wall protecting the canal.
The fence, which will run the length of the exposed canal on the street, will be erected to prevent people scrambling over the wall and falling into the water by the many bars and drinking clubs.
The problem is that drinkers sit on the wall, so reinforced glass panels will fill the `gap' between the rail and the wall, to prevent drinkers from sitting on the wall and dangling their legs under the rail.
The application will go to the planning committee later this summer, and it is expected that construction could then begin immediately.
The rail-and-post fence will cost around £102,060, plus installation costs, with the glass panels costing a further £97,200.
This is the fourth death by drowning that the present coroner has presided over, and was so concerned that he contacted the city council and British Waterways.
Volunteer bar staff have also been trained to throw rescue ropes into the canal to drinkers who have fallen in.IWA gives cautious welcome to BW restructuring
THE Inland Waterways Association today gave a cautious welcome to British Waterways’ announcement on restructuring, whilst offering sympathy to those facing redundancy.
Bridgewater towpath scheme goes ahead
THE controversial scheme to upgrade over 40 miles of the Bridgewater Canal towpath into a cycle track, named the Bridgewater Way has started.
At a cost of £8 millions it will upgrade the last remaining canal 'no cycling' towpath into a fast cycleway, with its backers claiming it will attracted 500,000 people a year!
Huddersfield Narrow closed
THE Huddersfield Narrow Canal is closed owing to a severe leak of water from the canal into a culvert on the East side of the tunnel.
The waterway is now closed between locks 22E and Lock 42E, and boaters approaching from Huddersfield must wind at the winding hole before Lock 22E. No passage is allowed past this winding hole.
The waterway is at present dewatered between Lock 27E and 32E. If you have a tunnel booking in the next week, please contact the Business Support Team on 0113 2816860
More waterway units for BW but 100 more staff to be axed
IT HAS been announced today (Wednesday) that BW is proposing an internal restructure of its operations in England and Wales with the creation of 11 smaller waterway units, the removal of a layer of management and approximately 100 redundancies from office staff.