Branch focus

A YEAR IN THE WEST COUNTRY

It’s been a busy year for IWA’s West Country Branch. We take a look at their campaigning and other activities in 2019

Covering the South West, IWA West Country Branch’s waterways encompass a huge area spanning Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall. Totalling just 29½ miles, the branch’s o -network Grand Western, Exeter Ship and Bridgwater & Taunton canals, River Parre and River Tone Navigation o er plen of volunteering potential, and two long-term campaigns keep members busy: the regeneration of Bridgwater Docks and the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme.

In addition, West Country Branch has helped secure funding for in astructure improvements on the non-tidal River Parre in Somerset, is campaigning for the replacement of bridges over the Exeter Ship Canal and keeps up a year-round schedule of work parties, towpath clean-ups, walks and events. All in all, it’s one of our most active branches. Let’s look back at the year so far.

NEW YEAR'S DAY WALK

Kicking o 2019 was the New Year’s Day walk, which took place for the second year running along the Grand Western Canal. Twen nine IWA members, volunteers and Friends of Grand Western Canal assembled at the Globe Inn at Sampford Peverell and headed north-east along the towpath through the Devon countryside towards Burlescombe, a small village adjacent to the canal on its way to its current terminus at Lowdwells.

The winter walk was led by Robert Hodgson, chairman of Friends of the Grand Western Canal, who talked about their vision to restore just over 2 miles of the Somerset section of the canal, with ambitious plans to include a replica James Green li and a Park ’n Glide facili to take visitors into the centre of Taunton.

GRANT FOR RIVER PARRETT IMPROVEMENTS

The Branch received some good news in February when a £179,000 grant was awarded to Langport Town Council by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and De a. This represented the culmination of four years’ hard work by local councils, IWA and many others.

The funding went a signifi cant way towards the £220,000 required for installing in astructure along the River Parre to improve the visitor experience and enhance the use of the waterway.

Commenting on the success, Ray Alexander, chairman of West Country Branch, said: “Our congratulations go out to everyone involved in this multifaceted project. It has taken a lot of hard work and determination to get to this point, but once the improvements are made they will open up 7½ miles of navigable river and bring an increase in leisure, recreation and tourism a ractions to the town.”

A new pontoon on the River Parrett.

Right: Val Saunders,

chair of Langport Town Council, with Ray Alexander, chairman of IWA West Country Branch.

Below: Boat on the

River Parrett.

VOLUNTEERS GIVE OVER 6,000 HOURS

The volunteers from West Country Branch are often found out on the towpaths, and in early May it was calculated that they had worked over 6,000 hours in the last year. The volunteers Volunteers at Firepool Lock, Bridgwater & Taunton Canal. work tirelessly to protect, maintain and restore the rivers and canals across the region, and over 220 work parties were held from May 2018 to April 2019.

Working in partnership with many of the waterways trusts that operate in the area, the volunteers not only bring enthusiastic manpower to work parties and events, they also provide expertise, with many having in depth knowledge of specific requirements of canal restoration. They also regularly work with local businesses who have chosen to donate their time to help with canal clean-ups as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Commenting on the activity of the IWA volunteers, Mike Slade, the branch’s volunteer coordinator, said: “We are extremely grateful to our volunteers for the time that they give to help us maintain our local rivers and canals. Their dedication has enabled us to make a significant difference over the years and we wouldn’t have these open and active waterways if it wasn’t for their help.”

Activity has already started since the grant was awarded. Four pontoons with access ramps, two sets of steps for canoeists, solar lighting on the footbridges and a fitness trail have already been installed. In addition, there are plans for three fishing platforms for disabled anglers, benches, picnic tables, bins and cycle racks to be included along with interpretation boards and new signage. Improvements to a 550m right of way between Langport and Huish Bridge will also be made as part of the wider project.

The benefits are already being reaped with locals reporting greater use of the river and its corridors, and visitor numbers on the rise as more people are being attracted to Langport. The council hopes to have the work completed by spring 2020.

IWA West Country work party, Bridgwater Docks.

SUPPORTING PULL SNAP STOmP

This summer West Country Branch volunteers supported IWA’s national Pull Snap Stomp campaign to help eradicate Himalayan balsam along the UK’s waterways with work parties in June and July.

The Balsam Bashes held by the branch over the past few years have gone a long way to helping stop the spread of the fast-growing, invasive plant in the area but pockets of it still spring up along the waterways.

Looking ahead to next year, Mike Slade commented, “We have a significant problem with Himalayan balsam in our area and really welcome people who want to get involved in our Balsam Bash work parties over the summer months. The stems pop out of the ground really easily, making this a great activity to share with the whole family.”

BRIDGWATER TIDAL BARRIER SCHEME

For several years, West Country Branch has been campaigning on issues relating to the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme. In September 2019, IWA noted its concerns that a formal request to reserve land within the bypass channel as part of the scheme had been refused by the Project Board.

A bypass channel is to be constructed to divert the flow of the River Parrett while the main tidal barrier structure is built on the existing riverbed. More than three years ago IWA requested that Sedgemoor District Council and the Environment Agency retain some of the bypass channel land-take in public ownership to enable future construction of a lock and approach channels, intended for boats to use when the barrier is closed to navigation. A formal request was included in IWA’s response to the Preliminary Environmental Information Report, submitted to EA on 18th September 2017.

While the number of occasions that the Tidal Barrier will be closed will be modest to begin with, EA’s own projections show that as sea levels rise over the lifetime of the barrier, the number of instances that the barrier is closed to navigation is likely to exceed 60 times a year.

In May 2018, EA responded to IWA’s request for the relevant land to be reserved, stating that this would not be possible due to its access, operational and craneage requirements on the west side of the barrier. Detailed consideration by an IWA consultant engineer showed that EA’s access requirements and a lock channel could co-exist and this has subsequently been discussed in detail by IWA, Bridgwater Town Council (on behalf of the community) and EA on three separate occasions, in September 2018, December 2018 and June 2019. At the latter of these meetings, EA raised – for the first time – its land acquisition policy which would have prevented part of the relevant land being acquired, but in conjunction with SDC a potential solution to this was found. The extra land area concerned is approximately 365m².

A recent meeting of the Project Board found further impediments to reserving the land, leading to a decision not to include the reservation of the relevant land within the scheme. Having reviewed the issues, IWA has a clear view that each of these issues could and should have been identified, addressed and resolved by EA over the last two years and that EA should now urgently rectify its failures to deal with these in a timely manner.

Ivor Caplan, IWA national chairman, commented: “As an organisation, IWA campaigns for all users of the waterways to receive the maximum benefit from our canals, rivers and linked tidal estuaries, both now and in the future. Operation of the proposed Tidal Barrier is expected to rise significantly over its lifetime and will have an increasing effect on the established right of navigation on the River Parrett.

“IWA believes that the decision to refuse the request to reserve land to enable the future construction of a lock within the Bypass Channel as part of the Tidal Barrier scheme is a short-sighted decision by the Project Board and should be reversed.”

EXETER SHIP CANAL BRIDGES

At the end of July, West Country Branch gave its support for a funding application, which includes replacing the two existing low-level bridges across the Exeter Ship Canal which would bring benefits to boaters, cyclists and pedestrians in the city.

The application was made to the Department for Transport’s National Roads Fund Programme to upgrade the A379 Exeter Outer Ring Road. Both the existing steel swing-bridge and bascule bridge, which carry traffic over the canal, will need replacing in the next ten years.

This presents an opportunity for the new structures to be designed with modern use of the four-lane road and waterway in mind; representations have been made for the height of the bridges to be raised to enable boaters to pass underneath without requiring them to be moved and provide a safe alternative to the road crossing for cyclists and pedestrians.

If the application is approved, construction could start in 2025 and be completed by 2027.

WEST COUNTRY WATERWAYS FORUM

A West Country Waterways Forum, organised by the Branch, saw nearly 30 volunteers from local organisations gather at the Globe Inn on the Grand Western Canal in Sampford Peverell. In attendance were representatives from Bude Canal & Harbour Society, Bude Canal Trust, Friends of Exeter Ship Canal, Friends of Grand Western Canal, Langport Town Council, Rolle Canal Society, Somerset Navigators Boat Club, and Stover Canal Trust. The aim of the forum was to provide an opportunity for waterways groups to meet, exchange information and ideas, and to hear about current and proposed developments affecting canals and rivers. Ellen Hawes, IWA fundraising officer, also gave a presentation.

BRIDGWATER DOCKS

The second of West Country Branch’s ongoing campaigns is the regeneration of Bridgwater Docks, in particular the restoration of the bascule bridge and barge lock.

IWA believes this is an underused and undervalued tourist attraction and that by restoring the link from the docks to the River Parrett, there would be increased use of the area for both tourism and navigation purposes. As discussions continue, the branch is ensuring its voice is heard and that it is speaking for all users of the waterways.

GET INVOLVED

IWA West Country Branch is always looking for volunteers to get involved in its broad range of activities, and is currently seeking a treasurer, fundraiser, event organiser, membership secretary and heritage officer to join its committee. If you’d like to become part of the friendly team, find out more at waterways.org.uk/westcountry.

If you have any questions or comments on the information contained within this feature, please contact Ray Alexander, chairman of IWA West Country Branch, on ray.alexander@waterways.org.uk.