Over zealous strimming
I thought it might be of some interest to illustrate another example of Canal & River Trust's waste of our licence fees, writes John Hall.
I have a residential mooring on the Shropshire Union Canal just North of Market Drayton in Shropshire.
Unfailing regularity
A couple of days ago I heard the unmistakeable sound of strimmer and mower moving along the towpath opposite to me. I have heard this sound with unfailing regularity ever since the beginning of the year.
To date the 'strimming gang' have appeared four times in that period, every few weeks, so I contacted CaRT''s head office to enquire why it was necessary to trim the towpath with such frequency.
I was referred to the North Wales borders division. This wasn't the place I wanted to be offloaded to, since the reason I contacted head office was because I wished to ellicit CaRT's official policy concerning towpath maintenance.
Contrary to wildlife survival
My reason for contacting CaRT in the first place is because the constant trimming of the towpath is contrary to aiding the survival of local wildlife. The time of cutting coincides with birds nesting and raising young with an intense requirement to provide food for their young. Since the birds nest in the towpath hedges, the vegetation close by is an excellent place to find the food insects etc. Strimming decimates this resource forcing the parents to have to travel further to find alternatives.
North Wales Borders Division's response was to state:
It is important to maintain safe access along towpaths for all users. Management is carried out according to a set of specifications which are selected according to a number of criteria including location and level of use. The specifications for the canal through Market Drayton are for a full width cut every 2 to 3 weeks with a full width cut a least once a year.
On the canal north and south of the town, there is a less intensive regime—a cut every 3 to 4 weeks leaving an uncut strip along the hedge with 1 full width cut a year. The grass on the towpath at this location has been cut twice this year, once in February on our full width cut and once in April as per our standard maintenance of the towpaths. This area's towpaths will be cut a further 5 times and the Moorings, Locks, Lock Landings 10 more times between now and March 2016.
The environmental impact of all Canal & River Trust work, including towpath mowing is assessed, with the aim of enhancing habitats for wildlife.
Latest cut
This latest cut was done whilst the vegetation was only 6" high, and I include photos to illustrate the fact.
It wouldn't be so bad if any boaters utilised the towpath in this area. They don't because it is too shallow for even shallow-draughted boats to be able to moor, so yet again it is the boaters who are paying for the convenience of others without any benefit to themselves.