Canal Consultation: 10 January 2015

The Canal and River Trust is hoping to secure funding from the Big Lottery to work with local people on the canal in the Mirfield area.  In order to find out how people use the canal at the moment and their future aspirations, colleagues from the CRT and Groundwork will be holding a consultation session on Saturday 10 January, from 10 am to 12 noon at the Co-op Supermarket, Huddersfield Road, Mirfield.  If you are not able to come along, your views are still welcome:  contact Jane Halladay, Senior Community Co-ordinator, Groundwork on  0113 238 0601 or via email -  jane.halladay@groundwork.org.uk

News from Neighbouring Areas

Brighouse Towpath Volunteers:  The Canal and River Trust (CRT) is involved in setting up a new volunteer-led group to carry out maintenance activities between Cromwell Lock and Ganny Lock on the Calder and Hebble Navigation near Brighouse.  Initial tasks will include painting, vegetation management, planting, repointing cobbles and clearing litter.  At the moment there isn't a regular task day for this group but if anyone is interested then the CRT would love to hear from you so that it can establish a more regular work party.  For more information and how to apply, click here.

Ganny Lock:  Courtesy of Humphrey Bolton

 

Battyeford Sands

The area around what is now Halfpenny Bridge used to be known to the locals as Battyeford Sands because folk would go there on Sundays or Bank Holidays.  In days of old, prior to water catchment and flood alleviation, the water would reduce significantly and leave behind a fine silt, or "sands".  It was a ford where cattle were driven down the slope, now used by the canoeists, to cross the river for pasture.

Battyeford Sands - from a photograph in Mirfield Library

Canal and River Trust tackling quick growing weed

More than 4000 weevils have been released into the Huddersfield Broad Canal near to Colne Bridge to tackle a quick-growing weed. The small weevils will eat a water fern called Azolla filliculoides.  If the weed is left unchecked it could cover the surface of the canal and reduce light and oxygen levels in the water.  A weed-choked canal could also cause problems for boats and anglers - the weevils are an effective natural means of tackling the fast-growing plant. The CRT says that the weevils feed exclusively on the weed and don't cause damage to other native species.

 

 

 

Volunteering opportunities

The Canal and River Trust is looking for volunteers to help lead water safety sessions for young people in schools or with groups, as well as to participate in local waterside events to encourage people to explore the canal in Dewsbury and the surrounding area.  To find out more visit the Trust's website.

Mirfield Community Partnership's Plan for the Promenade

As you may know there is a five year plan for the Promenade which has been developed by the Mirfield Community Partnership. Hilary Brooke of the Mirfield Community Partnership explains: “This project is all about people, it’s all about the local community working together to change their waterways for the better so they can play a more prominent role in daily life. We love our waterways here in Mirfield but we recognise that they could be made even better and we understand that we have an active part to play in making that happen. It’s amazing how much you can achieve if everyone works together and we can’t wait to see the difference on our waterways.”

To read the plan click on the following:  Mirfield Promenade

 

Pocket Park Working Party

If you have some free time on Wednesday 28 May, come along to Gill Bridge, Lowlands Road, Mirfield to continue the work already carried out on the Pocket Parks.  The volunteers will be clearing vegetation, removing litter and planting.  It is advisable to bring along gloves, practical footwear, mattocks, forks and secateurs.  Donations of plants or seeds would be gratefully received. 

Email Mirfield Promenade for further details.  We look forward to seeing you on 28 May.

Pocket Parks Progress

A big thank you to Sue Bentley, Jane and Alan Speight, David Pinder, Liz Hardwick, Jonny Hart-Woods, Claire MacDonald, Hilary Brooke and colleagues from the Canal and River Trust for their hard work and kind donations of plants/seeds which enabled us to clear weeds and debris accumulated over many years, and to plant up one key area along the canal at Mirfield.

We now need more hands-on assistance and donation of plants to continue the great work.  Before we know it the Mirfield canal side will be Blooming Marvellous and a better place to sit and enjoy this splendid environment.  We will announce the date of the next event very shortly.

 

 

 

 

Progress and Plans

Here is an update of developments along the Promenade - but remember that these few lines cover a massive amount of work!

Ø  Mirfield Community Partnership has provided funding for some pop up displays to use to promote the work of the Promenade, and these will be ordered shortly:

Ø  the work on the Pocket Parks gets off to a flying start on 8 May - with volunteers working together to clear the areas, and plant flowers and shrubs

Ø  four benches have been painted, the hope is to paint others along the tow path:

Ø  Battyeford Island - a new application for funding is to be submitted to BIFFA, this is being lead by Mirfield Community Partnership.  Kirklees Area Committee will supply match funding for information boards, if the bid is successful.

Ø  an ecological survey is being considered, possibly involving a student from Leeds University:

Ø  town centre work - planning is being undertaken to consider improvements needed on the tow paths near to Lidl, this will include replanting, clearance, path repair and, of course,  identifying funding.

 Help needed:

Ø  Thursday 8 May at 10 am, please meet at Gill Bridge, Lowlands Road, Mirfield to start work on the Pocket Gardens.  Bring along gardening gloves, tools and any spare plants.  Canal and River Trust colleagues will be on hand to assist.  All volunteers welcome!

Ø  Volunteers are  needed to go onto the rota for watering the newly planted Pocket Gardens.  Please email Mirfield Promenade

 

Improvements are beginning

When you next walk along the Canal near Mirfield, you will see that we are starting to make improvements - yesterday four benches were repainted, near to Wheatley Bridge and Gill Bridge.  Thanks must go to Hilary Brooke and David Middleton for carrying out this work, with special thanks to David for providing the paint, equipment and guidance!



Public testing of the newly painted bench



 

 

Pocket Parks

Shortly we will be starting work to restore small areas of land adjacent to Gill and Wheatley Bridges, as we feel that such improvements will enhance the route along the Canal towards Mirfield.

On 8 May, there will be a clean up, vegetation clearing and planting session starting at 10 am at Gill Bridge, near to Lowlands Road, Mirfield.  We would love to see you there to help with this work, but please wear sturdy gardening gloves and stout footwear.  Colleagues from the Canal and River Trust will provide some equipment and guidance - but feel free to bring along your own gardening tools.

If you have any plants that you would like to donate, or if you would like more information about this work and how you can be involved - then please email Mirfield Promenade

 

 

Sharing Towpaths

The Canal and River Trust is consulting with communities, stakeholders, local authorities and partners in order to draw up a National Towpath Use Policy.  The aim of this policy is to improve the experience for users of towpaths in England and Wales.  The Trust wants to attract more visitors to regularly use and enjoy the waterways and to encourage shared, safe use of towpaths.  You can read the Trust's document Sharing Towpaths and let the CRT know your views on its proposals by taking part in a short survey.

Update on bids

The Canal and River Trust put in a bid to BIFFA on our behalf, unfortunately the bid was unsuccessful on this occasion.  Whilst this news is not what we wanted to hear - we are treating this as a set-back and not the end of our plans.  We are continuing to seek out other funding sources and remain committed to developing Battyeford Island, whilst trying to get resources to help us to deliver other parts of our programme - in particular the tow path through Mirfield.  Watch this space to find out the progress we are making.
 

Rotary Navigation Walk 2014

The fourth Rotary Navigation Sponsored Walk will take place on Sunday 6 April, along the banks of the Calder and Hebble Canal between Horbury and Sowerby Bridge (nearly 20 miles).

The walk is for everyone who wishes to help in raising funds for the four Hospices which provide excellent service to the public of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield - Overgate Hospice, Kirkwood Hospice, Wakefield Hospice and the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice. Each Hospice will receive an equal share of whatever money is raised by the event.

To find out more visit the Rotary Navigation Walk website.

Congratulations to the Canal and River Trust

The Canal and River Trust has scooped the ‘Charity of the Year’ award!  Just over eighteen months after launching, the CRT has been named as ‘Charity of the Year’ by the People’s Postcode Lottery.  The award was made this week at Lottery’s annual Charity Gala.

 

The Award was given in recognition of the way the Trust, through support from players of  People’s Postcode Lottery, had raised public awareness and support of a project to help save the nation’s historic hedgerows which, although so important for biodiversity, have declined by 50% since the Second World War.
In making the award, players of People’s Postcode Lottery gave a special one-off £50,000 cheque to support the Trust’s work.  It also committed to increase the Trust’s annual grant by 25% to £125,000.

For more information visit the Canal and River Trust website.

 

Date for your diary 8 March

An event is being organised to help clear the towpath at Shepley Bridge Marina on Saturday 8 March.  The clean up starts at 10 am and everyone is welcome!

English Heritage and Canal and River Trust pilot nationwide heritage project

The Canal and River Trust is partnering with English Heritage on a national pilot project which could significantly improve the way national custodians of heritage, such as the Trust, are able to look after the listed buildings and structures in their care.

 

This spring the Trust and English Heritage will run a stakeholder consultation on the draft proposal for a new National Listed Building Consent Order.  The Order would be designed to allow the Trust to carry out pre-determined conservation work to masonry hump back bridges and canal locks without having to seek local authority planning consent every single time.  As the owner of the third largest collection of listed structures in the UK, a Consent Order would allow the Trust to carry out canal heritage repairs more quickly and more efficiently.

 

Nigel Crowe, Head of Heritage at the Canal and River Trust, says: “ CRT cares for 2,000 miles of nationally important designated and non-designated heritage.  Each year, in looking after the waterway network, we make numerous applications to local authorities for standard heritage repairs and conservation works.  The applications can be both costly and time consuming.  “Being given the opportunity to develop England’s first national Listed Building Consent Order is a great endorsement of the work we do and will enable us to direct our efforts and resources where they can make the most difference.”

 

Sarah Buckingham, Head of Better Heritage Protection at English Heritage, comments: “Much of the heritage the Canal and River Trust cares for is similar in age, materials and appearance and the work they do is well practiced with the same skills and craftsmanship employed from place to place. For this type of repair and conservation work, a national Listed Building Consent Order will save time and red tape.  “This pilot will be a really exciting opportunity to show how, as a nation, we can look after our heritage even better.  It could also be an exciting forerunner for many other organisations which, between them, look after a significant stock of the nation’s heritage.”

 

Works covered by the pilot Canal and River Trust Consent Order are likely to include repair and maintenance works, such as replacing lock gates, rebuilding damaged bridge parapets and carrying out occasional alterations in the interest of public safety. A pre-agreed schedule of works will be prepared as a part of the Consent Order and great care will be taken to detail these in such a way that the special interest of listed locks and bridges are protected.

 

Further information about the project is available at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/LBCO