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Category: Canal and River Trust
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The Canal and River Trust have made known details of their alternative overflow solutions to the dam construction. It was the overflow ‘spillway’ feature that failed during heavy weather in 2019. The proposals would restore the dam face to grassy slope with overflow provided in new channels to the River Goyt.

A consultation process has started on two alternative locations for the overflow. One option would be to build a new spillway to the left of the damaged dam wall which would pass through part of the Whaley Bridge Sailing Club car park. This could have an impact on the sailing club's launch slipway but the Trust - which leases land to the club - said it would make "suitable alternative arrangements".

The other option proposed would be to build a spillway through woodland to the right of the old overflow, which would go through the town's war memorial park. In a letter to residents, the trust said it would "treat this area with due sensitivity and importance".

A decision will be made in the autumn. Work will not begin until 2021, is due to be finished in 2023 and set to cost more than £10m.

You can read about is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-54064795

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Category: NABO Regional Reports
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Not a lot of positive news to report for obvious reasons, and all local waterways are very quiet. However, the local waterways are starting to attract walkers once more since the exercise rules were relaxed, but no boating, even if it was allowed, because of canal closures caused by low water levels.

Pocklington Canal. Covid-19 restrictions have meant that the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society (PCAS) has suffered a big setback in its fundraising efforts this year, with all of the planned events unfortunately having to be cancelled. It was expected that by this time PCAS should have started the major restoration work at Sandhill Lock, the next obstacle to seeing the canal fully navigable to Canal Head, but this is also on hold until the pandemic situation eases. The society has also had to cancel all this season’s ‘New Horizons’ trip-boat activities from Melbourne—a very popular attraction for visitors to the canal and a major regular contribution to fundraising.

Read more: North East, Yorkshire & Humberside

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Category: NN Editorials
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Editor, Peter Fellows, reflects on the effects of the lockdown.

As this issue of NABO News was being prepared, CRT and the EA announced the resumption of boating on July 4th in England and July 6th in Wales. No-one believes that everything will go back to ‘normal’, but it is too early to tell what lasting damage has been done to waterways businesses and the services that they offer boaters. David Fletcher has recorded the timeline of events as the pandemic developed from February to June and some of the effects it has had on the waterways. Despite the end of the lockdown, it is clear that coronavirus hasn’t gone away and there are currently around 1,000 new infections every day. I’ve not seen any figures on the number of boat owners who have been infected, but a sensible assumption is that some infected but asymptomatic boaters will take to the water again in July. Although boating is relatively safe, everyone needs to be careful to wash their hands and disinfect surfaces after using service facilities, locks etc. This is likely to continue until an effective vaccine becomes available.

Read more: Back cruising again this summer

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Category: Other Live Issues
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A meeting of the APPWG was held on 14th May using the Zoom videoconferencing facility. NABO attended as observers – the norm for such meetings. This well-attended meeting was chaired by the APPWG’s Chairman, Michael Fabricant, and very appropriately focused on the need for dedicated financial support for waterways businesses.

The lead speaker was Paul Rodgers, the National Chairman of the IWA, who emphasised that most waterways businesses are highly seasonal and thus are being hit hard by the lockdown, and, unless urgent funding is provided by Government, many will fail. To this end, the IWA, British Marine, CRT and the Broads Authority are calling for the Government to provide targeted support for the inland waterways sector. They are asking for a specific financial aid package, similar to that recently announced for the fishing industry, to allow the navigation authorities to underwrite licence and mooring fees for waterways businesses this year. NABO totally supports this view and has independently approached the Government, essentially supporting this view.

Read more: APPGW meeting