Levelling down

As a Merseyside resident I read your article ‘The

Pilgrimage’ in the

August edition with great interest. I visit

Spike Island frequently and agree it represents a remarkable transformation from its industrial past and provides interest for casual walkers and hikers on the trans-Pennine route.

Unfortunately these great initiatives only last for as long as we maintain them. You visited in April and may not be aware of the state of the canal now. In a time when we’re supposed to be levelling up in the north, the water in the Sankey canal is very definitely levelling down. The problem arises from the closure of the Fiddlers’ Ferry coalfired power station which whilst pumping water for its cooling towers also maintained the water in the canal. Boats cannot enter or leave through the Mersey Locks; the Widnes Dock is becoming a mud bath; the birds and fish are suffering loss of habitat.

It’s really sad to see and to my knowledge nobody has yet come up with an economic solution – such a shame when we all need to get out and enjoy walking in pleasant surroundings near home.

David Cox, Merseyside