A meeting of the Sankey Canal Stakeholder group was held last week when Halton Borough Council updated members on the latest information.
There was a presentation on the proposals for Sankey Lock, explaining that the solution for pumping water from the River Mersey currently being pursued by Warrington Borough Council will not provide enough water to keep the canal full to the levels that we have been used to. Warrington are very clear that to hold as much water as possible, the canal within Halton would have to be made much more watertight.
It was also stressed that it would cost around £1.4 million for the pumping solution alone. Repurposing the existing pumping station and carrying out works to allow water to make its way to Widnes, and then to hold it there, would be expensive and would take time.
The Council has commissioned a design for a solution that would both hold water while at the same time allowing the canal to be topped up by river water at high Spring tides. The proposal would mean that the locks would be sealed. However, it would be reversible and would protect the integrity of the lock.
The Council remains committed to the long term aim of a full restoration of the canal and any work would be done in a way that would not compromise this. The proposal will be discussed further at a meeting this week with West Bank Boat Club.
An update was given on progress made in repairing a collapsed section of canal wall on the east side at Spike Island. The section of wall has been surveyed and repairs are being commissioned.
With the canal being out of water, the true extent of the poor condition of the infrastructure below the water line was now clear to see. The cosmetic restoration carried out between 1979 and 1983 had not addressed many of the key issues. It had been done very cheaply and water retention had not been an issue as the power station water supply had been available. It is therefore essential that an up-to-date condition survey be undertaken by qualified engineers and that options be given for how the canal might be made more watertight.
A work programme for volunteers has been drawn up and a meeting will be taking place with interested parties who will be able to choose which tasks they would like to be involved with.
It was explained how efforts had been made to supply water to the wet dock. Discussions have been held with United Utilities and the Environment Agency about the supply of the 800,000 gallons of water that would be required. The options explored included the use of fresh water and also the potential for using final treatment effluent water. Unfortunately, the options were fraught with many issues which meant that UU had no available options to assist.
As there was no opportunity to supply water to the wet dock, a further fish rescue exercise was carried out, resulting in a further seven large carp and approximately 300 mixed juvenile fish being safely transferred to an alternative water body. It was noted that some fish remain in the dock and a further rescue exercise is planned for the coming weeks.
In the new year a replacement bridge will be erected at the site of the historic iron swing bridge. It will be a fixed structure but one that can easily be removed at some point in the future. A new swing bridge is too expensive at this point. Work will have to be carried out to the bridge abutments which are in poor condition.
Questions were asked about where the money come from for the bridge (circa £150k) and it was explained that it would not be coming from the £500k that has been allocated for repairs, fish rescue and clean up, but that the money for the bridge is for that purpose, and that the route of the Trans Pennine Trail needs to be restored.
Cllr Stef Nelson, the Council’s Executive Board Member: Environment and Urban Renewal, says: “We appreciate people taking the time to attend the meeting, listen to the updates, ask questions and raise concerns they have. We all remain fully committed to the long-term aim of restoring the canal.
“There will be another meeting of the group in January but in the meantime, there will be ongoing dialogue between the Council and stakeholders and we will all continue to make as much information available as possible.”