A WP update from the Black Country
20 February 2012
It has now been the best part of 9 months since the West Midlands WP came together, and all indications are that we are settling into our nominated roles. Each WP member has been assigned specific areas of focus. Mine is that of commerciality. No, that doesn't mean privatisation, but it does entail bringing diverse sectors of the community together with inland waterways as the common denominator in their activities.
This involves identifying where different elements - including both voluntary and business sectors - can work together for the common good of waterways and, who knows, perhaps even generate a few bob towards their upkeep as well. It is a huge brief, but I am tackling it with gusto and would welcome suggestions from anyone who feels they may be able to add to the ideas that are already on the anvil, ready for when CRT goes live. Proposals so far vary from greater engagement with computer technology through to 'synergistic engagement within the community' (yes, I know how that sounds!), hydroelectric generation and much more. One thing I enjoy about working on WMWP is that it is entirely 'up front' - you wanna know what I'm up to, just ask. Just please bear in mind that only Sooty has a magic wand, and sadly thus far he ain't on our team. Cheers for now ... Graham Fisher
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2 responses to this post
Graham Fisher said...
Hallo Eddie,
Thanks for your feedback. I do agree, there is a certain irony in having water shortages on a small island that is not only surrounded by it but also regularly deluged with the stuff. There are finer minds than mine at work here, yet the bottom line is that various previous examinations in using our waterways system as a conduit seem to inevitably fall down on several fronts, not least the enormous cost. You may be aware from recent news reports that the water companies have mooted the idea of transferring water from the wet north to the dry south by means of a pipeline, but even at the 'vague proposal' stage we are looking at billions of pounds. Perhaps it may all have proved so very different had we pursued JF Pownall's idea way back in 1942. His Grand Contour Canal proposals involved a lock-free ship canal on a 310ft contour extending from Hampshire to Newcastle-upon-Tyne and connected to the indigenous river system at various points by boat lifts. At 100ft wide and with a depth of 17ft it was to be the largest waterway of its type ever envisaged in this country and in addition to shipping, in an almost prophetic precursor of more contemporary requirements blamed largely on climatic change, it was also for use as a water transfer conduit. Unfortunately the idea came to nothing. In an age of increasing concerns for water supply one may wonder for how much longer its ilk will be allowed to gather dust. For what it's worth, my personal opinion is that some day the cost of the infrastructure may be outweighed by the demand for water so we may have to grasp the nettle. In the meantime it remains the case that much could be done by tightening up on existing water usage such as more frugal, economic uptake, reviews of abstraction (also in the news again recently) and the upgrading of, for example, leaky pipes. I hope that helps. And please do bear in mind that it's just my opinion. Regards ... GF
Eddie Rocket said...
Why do we have a water shortage and floods in England?
Could we not use the canals as a relief system when the rivers were high and top up the rivers from the canals when low.
We also have numourous bore holes and mine shafts for storage.
I know it is not that simple and would need a lot of work connecting and controlling but the canals do have locks to control water flow in fact right down to the Thames.
Could it be that the water companies would not be able to charge so much if a solution were to be found to control our water levels and have ample supplies of the FREE FROM THE SKY product.
Kind regards
Eddie.