Restoration update

The Planning Application
The Planning Application for the full restoration project was submitted to Wychavon District Council and officially registered on 27 April. The detailed application is over 1000 pages long. Understandably, this is quite a challenge to get through. To try and make it easier to understand what’s in there, a display has been touring locations close to the canals including the One Stop Shop and the Leisure Centre. The display has been manned by British Waterways staff and Droitwich Canals Trust volunteers and has given people the chance to find out more about the detail of the planning application. These have been well received and there have been some useful conversations.

If you want to find out more in an easy to read format, try the Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement.

The separate planning application for the reedbed between Salwarpe and the A38 was delegated by committee to the Head of Planning. Some of the conditions have already been satisfied including surveys for Great-crested newts and reptiles on the reedbed site. These found neither newts nor reptiles will be effected by the works. The detailed plans are close to completion.

The A449 has been put back in the project program, initially planned to start this winter. This has been because the road is being detrunked, control of it passing from the Highways’ Agency to Worcestershire County Council and the other County Council’s along its length. It was supposed to happen in May but it has been held up due to detail being ironed out by one of the Councils further north. This should be completed happening soon.

The Partnership and its sub groups
There have been ongoing meetings of the Droitwich Canals’ Linear Park Steering Group and Sub Groups. These groups are attended by members of the different partners and are an opportunity for consultation and action amongst the partners. The groups include those dealing with communications, volunteers, heritage, environment (landscape and biodiversity), access, tourism & visitor management, funding, education & training and interpretation & arts.

The Junction Canal
The new bridge which will span the canal to the east of the M5 is being brought to Droitwich in July. It’s a recycled bridge from Birmingham, one that’s being replaced as part of general works by the Local Authority. This is a benefit to the project in that it reduces costs as well as being very environmentally friendly.

Droitwich Canals Restoration Partnership ecologists have installed dormice boxes in Body Brook Marsh to assess whether the marsh is used by dormice. Boxes will be checked monthly over the summer. A contract has been let to Peak Ecology to undertake Great Crested Newt surveys of the pound and adjacent pond below Lock 3. With surveys close to completion Great Crested Newts have been confirmed to be present. The consultants have provided DCRP with expert advice on how to proceed and the likely programme of works, taking great crested newts and reptiles into account.

Archaeological investigations through trial trenches were completed at the end of March and results of analysis and radio carbon dating of the samples taken should arrive shortly. This information is not expected to be available before July because the work can only be undertaken by a small number of specialist laboratories. No features of note were observed in the organic deposits exposed by the trenching.

Sandstone copings recently recovered from Stourport Basin and surplus to requirements were delivered to the DCT yard on the 21 May in time for a volunteer training course in Masonry skills. There is also scope for volunteers to convert some of this stone into parapet copers for the new Rugby Club bridge if the design adopts stone rather than the alternative blue brick.

The Wych Barge
The Wych Barge has now been formally launched. The event was very successful with a turnout of around 60 people. Roger Hanbury, chief executive of The Waterways Trust introduced the VIPs and then handed over to Peter Luff MP who re-iterated his support for the restoration and encouraged everyone to get behind the public appeal. Unfortunately, there have been a number of issues regarding snagging and the barge is currently fenced off. This should be removed shortly.

Schools’ weeks
A twilight session for teachers from schools involved in the June and July schools’ week was run in May. The session was designed to give a background to the project and an opportunity for teachers to visit the canal in Droitwich where the visits are based. Planning for the 2 schools’ weeks in June and July has gone well.

The Appeal
The appeal was launched in April alongside the Wych Barge. There has been a lot of interest so far including from local residents, businesses and schools. The Waterways Trust was approached by Witton Middle School in Droitwich Spa about how the school might assist in the fundraising appeal; it was decided to hold a sponsored non-uniform day. In preparation for this, DCRP staff and volunteers were invited to deliver a full school assembly of approximately 500 children. The assembly was held answering questions about the restoration and dressing up in the style of canal users both from today and the past. Over £450 was raised by the school towards the appeal.

Appeal leaflets are available locally or from The Waterways Trust. Visit the Trust’s website or ring 0845 0700 710.

Read more about the restoration of the Droitwich Canals

To find out more, contact the
Droitwich Canals Restoration Partnership
c/o British Waterways, Harbour House, The Docks,
Gloucester, GL1 2LG
01452 318000 or email droitwich.project@britishwaterways.co.uk.