Will anything be done?

WITH the complaints of the state of the Trent & Mersey Canal by our Ralph Freeman at last getting through to Canal & River Trust, a meeting was arranged with its people, but Ralph has his doubts if anything will come of it, and writes.

On Tuesday 11th December I collected CaRT Trustee John Dodwell from Stafford Station and took him to Sandon Lock where we met Darren Green, the manager of CaRT Central Shires. I showed them the spill by bridge 84 that couldn't cope with the levels/flow of water encountered there recently and the site of the over-topping almost opposite, writes Ralph Freeman.

Over-tops towpath

We then went to Aston Marina and I pointed out the area where the Trent over-tops the towpath at frequent intervals (four times in six months). Having done the walk-abouts we had a working lunch in the Boaters Bar of the Star Inn at Stone where I think it's fair to say a frank exchange of views took place!

I gave Darren a set of photographs taken around lunchtime on the Sunday of the flooded Aston/Sandon pound and pointed out the Trent was still rising at the time the photos were taken.

I must say I was rather taken aback by the view of the CaRT persons present that Aston Marina should put the stop planks in place during periods of heavy rain and potential high water, claiming that CaRT bears no responsibility for the water levels in the marina! I assume John Dodwell was joking when he suggested stop locks should be fitted to the entrance and exit of the marina?

At odds

This is of course at odds with the licensing view which is it's 'CaRT's water' in the marina so boats moored in the marina need a licence.

I estimate boats moored in the marina contribute around £145,000 a year in 'donations' to CaRT, and the marina owners add another £50,000 to that figure in 'mooring tax'. I do not therefore think it is unreasonable to expect CaRT to maintain water levels in the Aston to Sandon pound (and hence the marina) within reasonable limits.

To stop the Trent entering the Trent & Mersey Canal would need the towpath to be raised approx six inches over a distance of around 80 yards. Perhaps a revised spill arrangement in the region of bridge 84 might be in order too. Not rocket science I would have thought?

Where has the money gone?

Since Aston Marina opened three years ago, boaters based there and the owners must have put in the region of £500k into the British Waterways/CaRT coffers. I wonder where that money has gone? Not into upgrading the local canal water level control infrastructure that's for sure!