Montgomery Canal Forum: Recreation, tourism, history, nature conservation, built heritage and net zero

In his review and update Michael Limbrey showed how the Montgomery Canal is part of the national waterway network, how canals have brought benefits to many places across England and Wales, and how those benefits could be brought to mid-Wales. The Montgomery Canal, he said, is about recreation, tourism, history, nature conservation, built heritage and communities. He then showed how volunteers are restoring sections of canal, providing boat trips, raising funds for restoration projects, saving heritage structures and running events to bring visitors to the canal.

Jason Leach, who leads the Canal & River Trust projects for Powys under the Government’s Levelling-up grant, started by talking about restorations in other parts of the country which had had to protect flora and fauna. He then described the Levelling-Up works which include two new bridges near Llanymynech and two important new canalside nature reserves.

With planning permission granted recently, work should start in May on the first bridge, at Carreghofa Lane, replacing a blockage created in the 1970s. A second planning consent permits the construction of a new nature reserve at Wern Pond, near Bank Lock at Pool Quay north of Welshpool. This will be an important part of the restoration safeguarding the canal’s rare water plants (‒ though unfortunately the location means it it is not be possible to provide public access).

The final presentation was from David Struckett, a member of the Sustainable Boating Group of national waterway charity the Inland Waterways Association. With the current focus on electric power, David said that a canal boat with electrical propulsion would be more efficient than one with the usual diesel engine and would cause less turbulence and damage to the canal bed and banks: there would however have to be a means of charging batteries. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil could be an alternative, he said, as it is 90% carbon neutral: it is cleaner burning than mineral diesel and would be a perfect interim fuel for existing diesel engines. Unfortunately regulations have hampered its use for canal boats though the Inland Waterways Association had been having constructive discussions with the Government Departments to see if it can be more widely available.

Summarising the Forum, Michael Limbrey said: “We were delighted when the Government included a Levelling-Up grant for the Montgomery Canal in its budget in October 2021. There is always a great deal of competition for funding like this which can easily be allocated to an entirely different area. This investment in the canal can bring social, economic and environmental benefits to the borderland. Preparation and design work is nearly finished and in coming months we will see two new nature reserves to safeguard the canal’s valued plants and wildlife and two new bridges to make dredging and maintenance easier, help the flow of water along the canal, and make things better for anyone using the canal or the towpath.

“Many towns and villages across England and Wales benefit from their canal. Visitors and residents can walk the towpath, cruise in narrowboats or paddle in canoes or on paddleboards. Visitors shop in places they pass through and visit pubs and restaurants (where they could be spending £20 or more a head on a meal). Or they just sit with a coffee or a drink and watch the boats go by: ‘life’s better by water’ they say. To make this happen on the Montgomery Canal, volunteers come from near and far to restore the canal channel, build nature reserves and rebuild locks, weirs and bridges, conserving the canal’s built and natural heritage so people can enjoy everything the canal is about.”

He added that on the same day as the Forum guests from Shropshire Council and the Canal & River Trust had marked completion of the volunteers’ latest project at Crickheath near Oswestry. Volunteers of the Shropshire Union Canal Society work parties had worked 6,500 hours over the last year to restore a section of canal channel that had lain derelict for nearly eighty years. The cost of materials and equipment hire had been supported by a grant from the Rural Prosperity Fund and by donors near and far through the local canal charities’ Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal. He finished by saying, “I am pleased to say we have recently had some significant gifts to the appeal. However we have not yet reached our target of £250,000 so of course we will welcome more donations."

To help the volunteers, head to localgiving.org/appeal/MontgomeryCanal

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Following a BBC report after the Forum suggesting fraud in the raw material supply chain the HVO Joint Working Group (Royal Yachting Association, British Marine, the Inland Waterways Association and The Cruising Association) issue a statement, see here.