CRT criticised for timing of temporary towpath closure
BOATERS and the local community are upset at the Canal & River Trust’s plans to impose a temporary closure of the towpath and moorings between Victoria Bridge and the Market Drayton Aqueduct on the Shropshire Union Canal.
The closure is expected to be in place for more than two months, with claims in the local paper that the closure will “devastate the town’s post-lockdown tourist boom”.
Local councillors, including the mayor, have voiced their concerns about the work, which they say should have been scheduled after September when the tourist rush has diminished.
Lisa Machin, director of Talbot Wharf boatyard, said that what surprises her is the lack of communication between CRT and the local community. According to Lisa, CRT only informed them in late June about the work, which will include the installation of an all-weather surface.
As a tenant she said she would have expected to have been kept better informed and consulted on the potential impact of the work. Her business, along with many others, has had to weather two lockdowns and the usual quieter periods over the winter.
Lisa told Towpath Talk: “I don’t object to the work being carried out; it is just the timing. Now, just as things are starting to open up again, this happens. Why can’t CRT do this during the quieter months later in the year?”
Her views are apparently reflected by many local businesses who look to the canal to help boost their tourist trade.
The town’s annual Ginger & Spice Festival, scheduled for September, could be a significant casualty if the works overrun. The attendance of the Roving Canal Traders Association at the event could well be put in jeopardy if CRT’s work isn’t completed in time. The result of any delay in completion would further impact the traders and the local business community.
We approached CRT for a comment on the proposed works and the trust provided us with a press release in which Adnan Saif, West Midlands regional director, said: “The canal and towpath at Market Drayton is extremely popular but, when it’s wet, it can become slippery and a bit of a mud bath, making it inaccessible for local people, boaters and tourists wanting to explore this rural stretch of canal and the nearby town.
“While we appreciate that doing this work over the summer isn’t ideal for boaters and local people, we do need drier, warmer weather in order to carry out the work as quickly as possible while causing the least amount of disruption. We are aiming to keep sections of the towpath open during the works so that local people and visitors can still access nearby shops, pubs and restaurants.”