Throw a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples radiate out…
Jonathan Mosse continues his monthly look at freight developments on the inland waterways.
JULY’S Towpath Talk freight piece featured DHL and Livett’s pioneering ‘last mile’, light freight movements on the tidal Thames and already, not two months later GPS Marine, in conjunction with the Cross River Partnership (CRP) is trialling a mix of washroom supplies and stationery deliveries into the heart of the capital.
Launched on July 26 and backed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) this weekly flow represents a new era of opportunity for the river: one that it is hoped will be emulated across other UK urban navigations.
With deliveries into the capital set to hit one billion per year by 2030 – spurred on by changing shopping habits, largely triggered by the pandemic – river freight has the potential to reduce both congestion and pollution in London.
The pilot aims to assess how goods delivered by river and handled outside normal trading hours at Woods Quay (located at Embankment) can be incorporated into urban logistics and also aims to collect general waste which will be carried, on the return journey down river, for disposal at Belvedere.
The ‘last mile’ journey for these goods will be undertaken by zero-emission cargo bikes, from the city’s piers on to the roads of Central London. Currently running on 90% carbon- neutral hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), the river freight industry continues to explore alternative fuels for vessels to further reduce its carbon footprint.
GPS Marine is also in the news having just taken over Bennett’s Barges. The three tugs and 10 barges of Alan C Bennett and Sons Ltd will join the GPS fleet with a view to ‘offering a more flexible UK and EU operation for the benefit of customers on both sides of the Channel’.
As the driving force in the campaign to get more freight off roads and on to waterways, GPS Marine wants the Government to take a closer look at how waterways can contribute to the freight sector, with shorter journeys for lorry drivers thanks to barge traffic also able to take the load off long haul road journeys, while helping decarbonise the sector.
Earlier this month the Department for Transport published its Future of Freight plan. Campaigners say the inclusion of water freight, for what is believed to be the first time, is an important step but it doesn’t go far enough.
They support the vision of Transport Minister Judy Harrison for a ‘world-class, seamless flow of freight across our roads, railways, seas, skies and waterways’ and say the strategy is a welcome attempt to deliver a long-term strategy for freight.
But they add that ‘if the Government does not commit to waterways, including funding for navigation authorities, the benefits for people across skills, jobs, health and the environment will not be delivered.’
Cutting emissions
Obstacles to achieving fuller integration for barge and coastal maritime operators across the different freight channels include the closure of wharves, delays in planning permission to allow new riverside loading and unloading facilities and a lack of understanding, at ministerial level, of how waterway traffic can increase safety and reduce harmful emissions when compared with lorry transport.
The Government’s Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme aims to remove short-term financial barriers preventing companies moving away from road transportation and helping cut CO2 emissions. As such, it provides a potential mechanism in realising GPS Marine’s ambitions.
Due for review in 2024, one of the shortcomings of the current funding criteria is to inadvertently disadvantage light freight, resulting in extremely low numbers of successful applications.
The MSRS – Light Freight Analysis
Report, commissioned by the Thames Estuary Growth Board, sets out the current barriers and offers solutions which could help unlock better use of the Thames to move freight, alongside other waterways across the country.
The analysis considers both light and heavy freight and highlights a number of impediments as well as enablers. The study adds to a growing body of evidence and guidance produced by waterway operators supporting movement of freight from roads on to inland waterways, and recommends:
Changing the assessment criteria for river freight funding applications to take account of the additional barriers faced by waterborne operators;
Encouraging innovation, particularly for light freight, through either adapting criteria or providing alternative funding avenues;
Development of a pilot study to support light freight operations for specific movements to test alternative mode shift support mechanisms or initiatives; and
Allowing grant funding for the purposes of capital expenditure, rather than purely for operating costs, particularly to unlock innovative light freight solutions.
Hopefully, Robert Courts – the relevant Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport – is listening!
ONCE an artery for trade during the Industrial Revolution, the Rochdale Canal has celebrated the 20th anniversary of its full restoration.
Today’s canal is a haven for people and wildlife, connecting Manchester city centre to the town of Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire.
Cared for by the Canal & River Trust, the 32-mile ‘Everest of Canals’ features 91 locks rising 600ft and winds through historic market towns, industrial cityscapes and stunning upland landscapes.
CRT chief executive Richard Parry said: “The positive benefits for people and wildlife resulting from the restoration of the Rochdale Canal in 2002 are amazing.
“It has been the catalyst for hundreds of brilliant projects, schemes and developments which have transformed the urban and rural landscapes around the waterway.
“The Rochdale Canal is a wonder of industrial engineering; however it has particular challenges, not least the effects of floods and drought from a changing climate and still ongoing work, at a time of spiralling costs, to make the canal more resilient following decades of decline during its closure in the 20th century.”
He added: “We need support from the public and partners now more than ever and are calling on the Government to recognise the scale and range of benefits that waterways deliver by ensuring they secure sufficient long-term funding.”
Trans-Pennine
First opened in 1804, the Rochdale Canal was the trans-Pennine motorway of its day, busy with barges carrying coal, wool, cotton, grain, cement, salt and timber between Lancashire and Yorkshire, feeding the demands of the Industrial Revolution.
The aim of restoration began in the mid-70s when a few enthusiasts formed the Rochdale Canal Society. This sparked off a major multi-million-pound partnership project, involving British Waterways (forerunner of the Canal & River Trust), all the local councils, Inland Waterways Association and others taking advantage of public funding opportunities around the Millennium.
Work included the creation of a new channel under the M62, a new canal tunnel under the A627( M) roundabout, 12 new road bridges and the refurbishment of 24 locks.
On July 1, 2002, John Craven, TV broadcaster and vice-president of The Waterways Trust, reopened the Rochdale Canal at a VIP reception at Dukes 92 in Manchester.
Later in the day, TV personality and steeplejack Fred Dibnah performed a similar ribbon-cutting ceremony at Ben Healey Bridge, near Rochdale.
Constant care
The fine industrial heritage requires constant care and support from the public, partners and funders, and the trust is calling on more people to join its campaign #ActNowForCanals to help look after the waterway.
Sections of the canal in Manchester city centre and Yorkshire have recently been awarded prestigious Green Flags – illustrating their importance as quality green spaces for local people and as a home for wildlife.
Major Green Recovery and art projects earlier this year have resulted in bright new rainbow planters in Manchester’s Gay Village, floating reed beds, more trees, flowers, wildlife and a series of engaging art installations.
Particularly valuable in urban areas, the canal towpath offers people a trafficfree space to roam and connect with nature. Community projects, such as the Incredible Edible garden scheme in Todmorden, have sown the seeds for a major canalside movement to grow free fruit and vegetables for people to pick. And partnership projects working with organisations like Transport for Greater Manchester have resulted in new access ramps to the towpath and in Yorkshire a new joint promotion with Northern Rail aims to open up the canal to rail users.