Plea to British Waterways

Regular readers will recall that local Audlem traders are trying to persuade British Waterways to alter the schedule for work on two locks on the Trent & Mersey canal next winter to keep the Four Counties ring open as long as possible.

A letter has been sent to Sally Ash of BW who proved extremely helpful in resolving the issue of the permanent moorings in Audlem. The letter says:

“Dear Sally
We have studied the proposed winter stoppages around the Four Counties Ring, and on our own behalf, and that of many businesses in Audlem, would like to submit the following for your consideration:

We are responding to the consultation on the draft Stoppages programme for 2010-2011 on behalf of many businesses in Audlem, which is by the Shropshire Union Canal. There are about fifteen pubs, cafes and shops in the village.

The Shropshire Union Canal is, as you know, part of the extremely popular Four Counties Ring, which also covers parts of the Trent & Mersey and Staffs & Worcs Canals.

The proposed stoppages on the Four Counties Ring are all in January-March 2011, with the exception of just two, at Trent & Mersey locks 63 and 69, which are scheduled for November and December.

This effectively closes the Four Counties Ring as a cruising ring for five months, apart from a week over Christmas. Bearing in mind that the Ring was closed last summer and winter for 6½ months continuously (but for just one week in October at half-term), due initially to the major breach at Shebdon, then a combination of planned stoppages and over two solid months of ice, a further long closure will be catastrophic on the businesses and villages that rely so heavily on the canal trade.

The impact of the recent very long closure to the pubs and businesses of Audlem is well known at high levels in BW, and all local traders were hoping for something rather less devastating next autumn and winter!

In summary, Audlem traders would ask you to move the stoppages at T&M locks 63 and 69 into early 2011, so that the closure of the Four Counties Ring, as a ring, is minimised, leaving it fully open until just after Christmas.

With many thanks
Kind regards
Peter and Christine Silvester
Audlem Mill Limited”

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