The Macclesfield Canal has

become the first ever canal to be

awarded Keep Britain Tidy’s

coveted Green Flag Award

The 26 mile Macclesfield

Canal is one of 239 parks and

green spaces across the North

West who are proudly flying a

Green Flag Award, after being

judged to be some of the best

in the country.

The Trust MEICA/SCADA team are installing a mobile communication network within Harecastle Tunnel. The

objective is to enable boating customers to contact the emergency services from within the tunnel should the need

arise

Propagation testing was initially undertaken by Vodafone and their specialist contractor .NET to ensure the

proposed system would work. Once this testing was proven to give a reliable mobile signal throughout the length

of the tunnel an order was placed.

Vodafone have now installed transmitters at the fan house on the south portal and inside the tunnel keepers hut at

the north portal. The transmitters link to mobile cells and send the mobile signal into the tunnel from each portal.

Contractors are currently on site commissioning and testing the equipment which is likely to be completed by 22nd

April. Upon completion The Trust will test the system. The Fire service have requested an invite during the test.

Users on the Vodafone network will be able to make voice calls from inside the tunnel. Uses on other networks will

be able to make emergency calls (999)

The project cost is 35k. Manchester & Pennine Waterway and the IWA have assisted with the project. Special

thanks to Mr Jon Honeysett for kindly taking Trust staff through the tunnel during the initial testing.

Breach between Lock

17 and 16: Breach through

embankment approx.2m

high through adjacent

allotments into River Calder.

Approx.15mtr section has

failed. Waste weir on this

section also failed. Boil in

the bed of the canal

upstream of the waste weir.

Landslip at Cutting

17 (between Locks

15 and 16): Channel

blocked. Kier mobilised

to dig a channel to install

temporary pipes to allow

a bypass flow. House at

the top of the slip has

lost part of the driveway.

Towpath has scoured on

ramps adjacent to 14 x

Locks and in many

places the service ducts

are exposed

Severe damage due

to overtopping

between Lock 12 and

11.

Void in Towpath between Br 2 and 3

3 x boats hung up: Lock 19, Stoodley Weir,

Lock 14

Severe river erosion at Embankment 13

Severe overtopping damage

Severe towpath damage

Van in the river at Hebden Bridge

Elland Road BridgeCrowther Bridge (Council owned)

• Destination Management Plan completed − Local Stakeholders interviewed

− Wants and needs of users explored and evaluated

− Researched local area and competition to ensure there

was a need for the current offer

− Evaluate the use of owned assets to ensure they are

used to maximum potential

• Recruitment of Summer team− Including new Visit England course for

Exceeding Customer Expectations

• Investment into the Café − New Coffee Machine

− Multi Deck Chiller

• Trip Boat Refurbishment – thus protecting our assets for the future

• Sale of Event Space in the Thomas Borne Room, 50% increase year on year

• Increase in School Trips increased by 50% to date

Below Lock

14 Wash-out /

scouring

damage from

flood water.

Note – the

exposed cable

/ fibre-optic

ducts exposed.

After – Cable

ducts suitably

protected (

and positions

recorded )

and the

towpath

reinstated

and top-

dressed.

After

Stubbins Wharf –

Typical of the damage

incurred along the

Rochdale Canal.

Lock 11W HNC Off Side Quadrant. Repair

involved hand digging to a suitable level, installing

concrete ‘mini-piles’ by hand, concrete foundation

and wall rebuild. All of this work was undertaken by

our recently recruited Craft Operative, Wayn Dawe

and an Agency operative.

Before AfterLock 9 Ashton canal Due to the extent of

masonry repairs within Lock

9, all to be pointed with lime

mortar, the decision was

made to encapsulate the

lock. Cape / Vinci undertook

the scaffold works.Encapsulated lock

Before During After T&M Embankment

repairs Bridge 209 All works undertaken with

one Team – that has the

capability to mobilise a piling

operation to all locations

Macclesfield Canal

Bosley Lock 7 Head

Gate replacement

Rochdale Canal Lock 91 Tail ramp

paving repairs.Note special order

paviors with imprinted rope pattern.

Piling at Anderton

Peak Forest – Captain Clarke’s Bridge 7Below waterline void.

Before During After

Before During After

Bosley Reservior WIORS

Ollershaw Lane Bridge

Lock 63 Stabilisation

Knowsley Road Bridge

Dredging – HNC West

High proportion D and E

Assets packages

National Lock Grouting:

Peak Forest Lock 6

Peak Forest Lock 14

Peak Forest Lock 15

Macclesfield Lock 4

HNC Lock 24W

Project, completed February 2016, to

undertake essential masonry repairs to

the bridge caused by vehicle impact and

settlement as well as the installation of

traffic lights to prevent future damage.

The Project was part funded by Cheshire

West and Chester Council with a total

cost of circa £170k

Old deck and parapets dismantled, repointing and repairs to abutments above and

below water level, old outer beams and parapets refurbished and painted so that they

can be re-installed to replicate the appearance of the bridge, inner bridge beams

replaced with pre-cast units, new concrete deck, waterproofing, resurfacing, reprofiling

of bridge approaches and repairs to a collapsed section of towpath wall, ramp handrail

repainted.

Before

After

DURING: The piling work to stabilise the

Offside Lock on the far left is complete. The

concrete for the tie beams and waling beams

on the lock island is about to be poured. The

widening work to the Towpath Side Lock is

ongoing. Work that you can’t see is leak

sealing, replacing masonry, pinning masonry,

grouting, repointing work, repairs to invert,

sealing leaks on interconnecting culvert,

bywash culvert repairs. Work completed by

Direct Services – 3 gates changes and 2

sets of stop plank grooves re-lined.

AFTER This shows how the lock was

reinstated to better than when we

arrived; lock arcs reinstated in brick

paving rather than concrete, relaying

quadrants, paving reinstated where it

had subsided, turfing to allow boaters

to use the lock as soon as work

complete.

Before

The by-wash culvert, known

as Tail Goit Culvert, which is

associated with Lock 26E

has collapsed. The culvert

passes below the lock by-

wash, which has on several

occasions collapsed into the

culvert. There is a risk that if

the culvert becomes blocked,

overtopping and flooding of

adjacent properties could

occur. This project will aim

to determine the cause of the

collapse and leakage into the

culvert and then repair the

culvert or the wash wall or

both.

The aim of the investment is to create a traffic free

cycle / multiuser route along the Manchester, Bolton

and Bury Canal from Radcliffe towards Farnworth,

Bolton. The route would serve large residential areas

including Farnworth, Little Lever and Radcliffe. The

investment in the canal towpath forms part of wider

plans to develop Radcliffe into a cycle friendly district.

The surface of the canal towpath varies in quality and

west of Radcliffe is only passable by mountain bikes

and is not currently suitable as a commuter route.

The route will also link up with other existing and

proposed cycle routes linking the town centres and

residential areas.

The proposed multi-user route stretches for 3.3km

between Basin Lock 1 to Bridge 17a School Street

footbridge.

• Prioritisation of worst leaking locks nationally

• Significant proportion in the M&P region

• £400k – November to March 2016

• Polyurethane resin injection to target leaks and seal their flow paths

• Successful process and heritage approved

• Numerous listed structures have been worked on

• Prevents further deterioration and reduces failure likelihood

National Lock Grouting 15/16 – Locks 3, 6, 9, 14,

15 PF Marple, Lock 4 Macc and 24w HNC -

£340k spent across M&P on 7 locks combined

(photos attached)

All locks included in the Winter programme were

prioritised due to issues with leakage.

Polyurethane resin injection was undertaken at

all of these; once injected, on contact with water

it spreads to follow its path and solidifies to seal

the leaks and stabilise the ground behind the

lock walls. This method has been used

extensively across locks (including listed

structures) nationwide for several years as a

non-intrusive, but targeted approach to solving

lock defects associated with leakage.

Marple Retaining Wall

The collapsed section of retaining wall below

Lock 7 on the Marple flight is planned for repair

during the Winter stoppage season, from the

beginning of January 2017. The repair will be a

reinforced concrete retaining wall, with reclaimed

masonry facing and the section of adjacent road

will be re-aligned back to its original line

alongside the canal.

Lock 9Lock 15

M&P Washwall Repairs 16/17

As part of a rolling programme to prioritise high risk sections of

washwall across the M&P region, approximately 100m of wall

will be repaired close to Bridge 207 on the T&M, using trench

sheets and anchor tie backs, where the existing concrete

coping has failed. Further works to other nearby sections on

the T&M will be completed from 17/18 onwards.

• Repair assets in the Manchester and Pennine Waterway

• Improve condition grade from D/E to C or better

• Priority list for the next 4 years

• Programme of repairs to be completed over stoppage seasons

Macclesfield Richmond Hill retaining Wall

Rochdale Embankment 19 breach repair

Rochdale Cutting 17 slip repair

Peak Forest River Tame Aqueduct

MB&B towpath upgrade

HNC Tail Goit Culvert

Peak Forest collapsed retaining Wall

Rochdale Canal Flood Response Programme

Washwall repairs programme 16/17 17/18

Canal From To Year Description

Macclesfield Bridge 19 Watery Lane 2016-2018 Spot dredging

Trent & Mersey Durose

Bridge

Forge Bridge 2019-2020 Mainline

Peak Forest Bridge 7

Captain Clarks

Bridge 15 Romily

Bridge

2018-2019 Mainline

Peak Forest Bridge 3 Well

Bridge

Bridge 7 Captain

Clarks

2019-2020 Mainline

Rochdale 100m

upstream of

Bridge 57

Coppy Bridge

Bridge 58A

Deepdale Swing

Bridge

2019-2020 Mainline

Macclesfield Bridge 10 Bridge 35 2017-2018 Spot dredging

Trent & Mersey Harecastle

Tunnel South

Bridge 128A 2018-2019 Spot dredging

Macclesfield Bridge 49

Royal Oak

Swing bridge

Bridge 95

Knowsley Bridge

2019-2020 Spot dredging

Winter Stoppage Dates

Draft stoppage programme for 2016/17

(subject to change)

Agreed rational for Canals

• 153 High Priority Works

• 16 Gate replacements

• 37 Other Stoppages

Typically rural locations with soft

bank

Cut to 100mm high, trodden towpath

and 0.5m either side of the towpath,

typically every 6-12 weeks. Cut full width

to 100mm high at least once every year

Typically urban areas, all moorings and

lock sidesCut full width to 50mm high typically every 2-3

weeks throughout the season.

Cut full width to 100mm high at least once every

year

Typically urban / rural fringe with a hard edge

Cut to 50mm high from water's edge, extending

to 0.5m to the rear of the towpath, typically every

3-4 weeks throughout the season, retaining rear

verge. Cut around bench to 100 mm high. Cut full

width to 100mm high at least once every year

Typically urban /rural fringe with soft bank

Cut 0.5m either side of the towpath for typically

every four to six weeks throughout the season.

Cut around bench to 100 mm high. Cut full width

to 100mm high at least once every year.

Find out more at canalrivertrust.org.uk

Customers without a home mooring – Monitoring review March 2016During the first year, just over 5600 licences for boats without a declared mooring became

due for renewal. In line with the new process, their movement patterns were reviewed.

More information on our Enforcement Team and the CC Monitoring Process can be found on

our website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/licensing-your-boat/enforcement

We had a total of 228 visitors to our

open day at lock 63 on the T&M, 8 new

friends sign up and 2 people leaving

their details to volunteer with us!

Facts and Figures:

• 5675 days (39,732 hours)

• 3445 hours of which is on the Rochdale canal flooding work from December –

March which is still ongoing

• Total M&P volunteer hours is equivalent to £626,813 using HLF rates

• 18 Adoptions (5 more pending)

• 22 Volunteer Lock Keepers

• 308 days (2156 hours) youth volunteer engagement (16 – 24 year olds)

• 60+ volunteer groups

• Social Value / Evidence Impact

• Share the Space

• Events Management / Involvement

• Marketing & Tourism

• Manchester Literature Festival

• GMCA Devolution

• Arts Council Strategic Touring Fund

• Green Flag – Living Waterway External Awards

• PSPO – consultation complete, consultees being

contacted.

• Detailed design underway.

Waiting for……

Peter Birch – dredging stats

David – undercroft update