Victor asks how long it takes for contractors to 'develop a plan to repair'?

Published: Saturday, 11 January 2025

IT WAS back on  the 13th December that a broken cill closed the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

However we were not told on which lock, but 'Newlay to Kirkstall' was what was told, as Keith Gudgin then reported.

But still there was hope, as we were informed that the contractors were 'developing a plan to repair'.

But alas, the contractors were obviously flummoxed on how to repair a lock cill, as come over three weeks later, the 9th January, we are told that the contractors—you've guessed—are still 'developing a plan of repair'!

So that's why cill repairs take so long—usually a month or twobecause they are still working out how to repair...

Having it rough

Boaters are having it rough these days on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with now Brunswick Dock Lock being closed.

This time it's from the 4th January until the 9th March. We being told it is for maintenance, but alas, not told what maintenance. 

Only that boaters must keep clear when divers are investigating.  But nearly two months? But why tell boaters to keep clear when closed?

And there's more

 Canal & River Trust are closing the Leeds & Liverpool Canal between  Granby Swing Bridge 197 and Morton Swing Bridge 198 on the 11th of February for the use of canoes only.

No boats will be allowed to pass between these swing bridges. Could this be our waterways, future?  Well, there have been threats of closure should money not be forthcoming.

Strange

I reckon all of you must have read the often repeated concerns that the trust have about it's wildlife.

Yet a dredger sank in a canal in December, discharging its oil and it spreading and certainly affecting the wildlife, yet the trust did nothing about it with the Cotswold Canals Trust eventually stepping in and stopping the oil that was leaking from the sump of the dredger and then containing the slick.

This was where eye witnesses saw a kingfisher swoop into the oil slick, then was unable to free itself, eventually drowning in the oil, with its mate pitifully flying around in its distress.

So much for the concern for wildlife—eh?

Why stop the navigation?

The handrails on the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal need repairing, which means the navigation is to be closed from 9am to 4pm whilst the repairs are in progress.  But as boats certainly don't use the towpath where the contractors are working, why the stoppage?

And now more bad news! the navigation will be closed from Monday (of course) 6th January until Friday (of course) 14th March—nine weeks in all. And on Saturdays too.

But then it gets into the realms of fantasy—it being told that in the event of works taking longer than planned and the team working overtime, these hours may apply to weekends, too!

Do you think these contractors are ripping-off the trust? I certainly do, and can this clearly see why the trust is so short of the readies.

Having it rough

We are certainly glad that in this time of so many floods we no longer moor at Sawley Marina on the Trent, but have joined many others who 'escaped' into Mercia Marina where floods do not apply!

When we left Sawley it was only about two thirds full, but after the every increasing floods of the Trent, and another one likely when the snow starts to thaw on Sunday, I would imagine there are a lot less risking mooring there.

I wonder though if at last the management has instructed the boaters not to fasten their boats tight from the centre line to the top of the slide that allows the boats to rise with the flood?  This lack of common sense sank quite a few in the marina during our twenty odd years there...

Not from home you can't

Whatton, on the Trent, was severely flooded in the early hours of Tuesday, trapping many of its residents in their homes and leaving the roads impassable for much of the day.

And though heavy rainfall, the Environment Agency was critisised by the villagers for having no warning sign in place, their being removed prematurely and so leaving the villagers unprepared and flooded.

Then it was discovered the agency fellla was not out observing the heavy rainfall causing more flooding—and replacing the signs—but was working from home!

Not the way mate!

What is it with the New Junction Canal bridges?

Looking back on our records showed that the New Junction Canal lift bridges were obviously well built as there just were not any breakdowns, but over the past few moths they have been dropping like ninepins.

On Saturday Kirkhouse Green Lift Bridge gave up the ghost with an 'hydraulic oil fault', Keith Gudgin reports.  Last week it was Top Lane Lift Bridge that suffered a 'structure failure'.

During the past few months Sykehouse Road Lift Bridge and Low Lane Swing Bridge has twice failed. Lack of maintenance strikes again? And again?  It certainly looks that way.

Another report

So Canal & River Trust published another report on the waterways according to its customers.

And this time it admits it did the report itself—not risking telling it was undertaken by a third party, that Allan Richards once blew straight out of the water as it wasn't!

Believe the report? I found it was good for a laugh!

Victor Swift—telling tales for 25 years