More Basingstoke problems

THE promised repairs to the Deepcut Flight of the Basingstoke Canal, have still not started, despite many promises, as previously reported in narrowboatworld.

The flight has now been closed for three years, and though Surrey County Council has signed the contract for the work, its starting date is still not certain.

Disappointed

Even though Basingstoke Canal Society members are doing all they can to preserve the waterway, there is only so much that can be achieved.  Members are particularly disappointed with the delay that has occurred in the commencement of major structural repairs to the canal, in particular to the Deepcut Flight.

A further problem is that any work has to have the approval of Natural England, the agency that protects the waterway as a site of special scientific interest, and inevitably this too has been delayed.

Further impact

A further impact on the working of the canal is that due to recent redundancies the Basingstoke Canal Authority has been reduced to one ranger on standby call.

This means that the authority will not be able to manage the navigation and allow visiting boats at weekends or Bank Holidays from now on. And unless it can find satisfactory alternative arrangements to manage loss of water and maintain safe levels for the house boats, Woodham Flight will remain closed outside normal working hours.

If boats cannot access the Basingstoke Canal at weekends or Bank Holidays, this will have a very serious impact upon the viability of the canal and, in the opinion of at least one society committee member, would effectively close it.