£50m is unlocked for future of waterways

CANALS running through Oldham are being given a boost in a £50million maintenance programme.

British Waterways is undertaking the work to help maintain the nation’s 2,000-mile, 200-year-old canal and river network and ensure they are preserved and cared for future generations to enjoy.

It will combine traditional heritage skills with innovative engineering.

The national maintenance programme, taking place between next month and March, will include the replacement of over 100 hand-crafted British oak lock gates.

Along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal a total of 10 lock gates will be replaced and another two will have repairs — a major feat of winter maintenance costing over £500,000.

The Rochdale Canal will have five locks replaced with new gates and repairs to a number of others.

The 100 lock gates have been made by British Waterways’ specialist lock gate workshops in Bradley, West Midlands and Stanley Ferry in Yorkshire.

Each bespoke lock gate is hand-crafted by a highly skilled team of carpenters and made from sustainably sourced British oak. A single lock gate weighs on average 3.6 tonnes.

British Waterways says the canal and river network it cares for is a haven for people and wildlife, visited by nearly 13 million people each year, and regarded as a much-loved national asset that showcases our industrial heritage.

It is also offering the public an intimate look at Britain’s canals and rivers through a series of open days, including at the Huddersfield Canal. Details can be found at www.water scape.com/canalopendays.

In the New Year, the public will be given a unique behind the scenes tour of Lock 47 on the Rochdale Canal, which sits underneath the A58 Halifax Road, Littleborough, giving the chance to learn about how British Waterways maintain these historic structures.

In six months, the Government will put the canals and rivers into trust for the nation through the creation of a new charity.