Braunston Stop House will not be sold

Published: Wednesday, 19 May 2021

SEEMINGLY as  a result of pressure from many sources, Canal & River Trust has decided not to sell the Stop House at Braunston.

It was in early February that the trust intimated it was selling the Stop House that it was using as an office, clearing out its contents, stating it was  'considering a reduction in its operational offices around the country' as it has more office space than it needs, and has seen 'a significant change in working practices with people working from home and using video technology.'

TheStopHouseOutcry

This prompted an outcry, as it was seen as yet more of the waterways' listed buildings being sold off to raise cash for its many schemes, such as many of its lock houses and other buildings of heritage significance.

But the trust now tells, in its usual way that 'given the building’s heritage significance and interest to the local community, we’ve decided to retain the building in our ownership and seek to lease it to a third party to generate a financial return that can be used to directly fund our waterway maintenance programmes.'

Seeking interest

It is now seeking interest from local organisations or businesses to lease the building on a medium-term basis on a lease of 10 to 20 years.

It intends to retain part of the site as a 'welcome station' where people can find out more about the local area and volunteer to get involved.