Little hope for Daventry Canal

WITH the two councils involved in the creation of the new Daventry Canal, being at loggerheads, there seems little chance of the expensive waterway being built.

The latest in this very long running saga is that Daventry Town Council—that is totally opposed to the canal being built—has now accused Daventry District Council—who want the canal to be built—of failing to prepare the proper planning applications.

Not to satisfaction

But is seems no one is admitting to being responsible for having prepared the plans, that are not to the satisfaction of West Northants Development Corporation,  which has to assess them, stating that they are 'seriously deficient'.

The corporation is 'waiting for a number of key revisions/additional information, including the revised parameter plans which set the heights and widths of the buildings, the arboricultural report and additional environmental information as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment'.

Consult

Once it has this information it will again consult existing consultees, statutory undertakers, residents and the general public.

There is much more that needs considering, with the list including:

• How the Eastern Way bypass will be crossed/stopped up etc.
• Details over the purpose of each bridge and how this relates with the wider pedestrian/cycle network.
• More information over the design of the bridges, how they have considered the design of other canal structures in the area and the impact on the conservation area.
• Further information on water resourcing, how the canal will be filled/level maintained - impact on reservoir etc.
• Additional Environmental Information—including updating ecological reports, further information on construction impacts/access.
• The key point for the canal arm application—in that it is submitted in full.

The opponents to the scheme are pointing out the matter of water supply, with the Daventry Reservoir still at a 100 years low. Without extraordinary rainfall this winter, it is thought it will not refill, and the Grand Union will have problems next summer, so there is little chance of water to fill a new canal and basin.