Another marina for the Llangollen

WELL established as the busiest waterway in the country, and home to countless marinas and moorings, still another marina is planned for the Llangollen Canal.

This new one is planned for fields behind St Margaret's Church with its entrance off the waterway near to Wrenbury Lift bridge, David Owen-Roberts tells us.

200 berths

The plans are for a 200 berths marina with parking for 70 cars, but they are meeting a great deal of opposition from residents, even though they are told that 'the proposed marina would create a hub of related leisure activities, centred on the canal and its environs, to significantly boost visitor spending in the local economy'.

Many residents attended the consultation at the Cotton Arms, with issues raised including traffic problems, being just yards away from the churchyard and houses and destroying an ancient Roman road. It was called 'a blot on the landscape'.

Many marinas

One objector pointed out that there are already two large marinas just a few miles away at Swanley and Nantwich, another further away in Cholmondeston and one near Audlem.

Then of course there is Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina on the Middlewich Branch and many more marinas past Swanley Bridge Marina further along the Llangollen Canal towards its terminus.

The developers rather grandly described the marina:

'The proposal bears the hallmarks of truly sustainable development and, in our opinion, it will be the most desirable marina on the Llangollen Canal and superior to any existing currently in the Cheshire East borough'.

Perhaps the other well established marinas in the area will have something to say about that!