Waterway works to keep historic canal flowing

15 February 2010

British Waterways is investing over half-a-million pounds this winter to undertake vital maintenance work on the historic Regent’s Canal.

The Regent’s Canal and towpath, which runs alongside Victoria Park, from Mare Street to Old Ford Lock, in East London, will be closed until the 26th March to enable essential works to be carried out on the canal, including stabilising the waterway wall.

The first stage of this eight week project was to drain the 1km section of the canal, which took three days. Now areas of original waterway wall, which date back to the 1800s, have been exposed, enabling the essential maintenance works to be carried out.

The canal was originally constructed between 1812 and 1820 and runs east to west across London, from Limehouse to Little Venice, where it links to the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal that runs all the way to Birmingham.

Once the canal is drained the works team will further inspect the canal wall before undertaking the task of stabilising the wall. The team will also take this opportunity to remove some of the rubbish that has been thrown into the canal. The draining has exposed everything from motorbikes, to tyres and shopping trollies that people have dumped without care as to the damage they cause to passing boats and wildlife, and without thinking of the expense it costs to remove their rubbish.

British Waterways’ waterway manager, Simon Bamford said: “It’s great to see that this historic waterway is getting the care and attention it deserves. Over a hundred thousand people enjoy the Regent’s Canal every year, for boating, walking, cycling, jogging and just getting away from the hustle of the city streets for a while.

“It’s easy to forget that this is a piece of working heritage which is nearly 200 years old. These works will mean that the canal can be enjoyed safely for many more years to come. I hope that the draining will also remind people that the canal isn’t a deep, black hole for people to tip rubbish. British Waterways has to divert vital resources from preserving these historic waterways to tidying up after a minority of the community who seem to think it’s appropriate to treat the waterway as their local tip.

“There are signed diversions in place, and hopefully canal users will understand the need for this section to be closed for a while whilst these works are undertaken.”

The works on the Regent’s Canal are part of a national annual winter programme of vital maintenance to the network of canals, rivers and docks in British Waterways care. The programme is part of c. £100 million spent each year by British Waterways maintaining the network and is funded through a combination of Government grants and the income British Waterways generates from things such as property and boat licenses.

Jim Stirling, British Waterways’ technical director, said: “There has been a significant improvement in the condition of British Waterways’ locks, bridges, aqueducts and canal embankments in recent years, and the network is busier than at any time in living memory. As the network gets older, however, it becomes more expensive to maintain and forced closures, which were commonplace just 20 years ago, still happen. The network is under funded by around £30 million each year and so it is vital that we make every penny count.

“This winter we are prioritising spend to ensure more than £60 million of winter works. As well as undertaking vital repairs and maintenance we will also be carrying out the essential inspections that are necessary to ensure the continuing health of our canals and rivers. In some cases, as with the Regent’s Canal, this is only possible by draining the water, which provides a fascinating glimpse into what goes on below the surface.”

The winter works programme is part of the annual £100 million that British Waterways spends on maintenance of Britain’s 2,200-mile inland waterway network. For every £1.00 that British Waterways spends on the waterways, 33p comes from Government grants, 16p from third party funders, 13p from boaters and 38p from the organisation’s other commercial activities such as property and utilities.

British Waterways is the third largest owner of listed buildings in the country. It maintains:

1,654 locks
54 tunnels
3,115 bridges
417 aqueducts
91 reservoirs

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Gill Owen, British Waterways
T. 020 7985 7227

M. 07733124580

gill.owen@britishwaterways.co.uk

Notes to editors

· British Waterways cares for and manages 100 miles of canals and rivers and 110 acres of docks in London. As a not-for-dividend public corporation it works with a broad range of public, private and voluntary sector partners to unlock the potential of the inland waterways for the benefit of the millions who visit and care for them. www.britishwaterways.co.uk/london