The projects are being added to our previously announced winter works programme of 136 lock gate replacements and other essential high-priority maintenance across the 2,000-mile canal network.
Strengthening our assets
Following two consecutive years of drought, we have identified a further package of projects that will specifically help strengthen water resilience, building on our experience of problem areas over the summer. The targeted programme will tackle significant leaks, repair lock gates, and improve vital feeders that carry water into the canal network.
While these projects were already recognised as beneficial investments, the recent droughts have increased their urgency, prompting us to bring them forward. Despite the short lead times, our teams will do their best to complete the works ahead of the busier summer months alongside the existing planned winter programme.
The projects
The 16 projects span the network, from the Lancaster and Leeds & Liverpool canals in the north to the Kennet & Avon Canal in the south. They include:
- replacing a lock gate at Hurleston on the Shropshire Union Canal which is an addition to the existing winter gate replacement programme;
- repairs to reduce leakage on the Shropshire Union, Leeds & Liverpool, South Stratford and Trent & Mersey canals;
- work on Crooklands Feeder, which is critical to supplying the Lancaster Canal;
- restoring Seend Feeder on the Kennet & Avon Canal, which could supply five million litres of water a day;
- maintenance to Combs, Eshton Beck, Rudyard and Knypersley, and Heronsfield feeders to improve the supply of water from the reservoirs;
- lock and paddle repairs on the Huddersfield Narrow, Leeds & Liverpool and Grand Union canals; and
- work at Weir 32 on the Oxford Canal to reduce water being lost to the River Cherwell.
Together, the projects are designed to save significant quantities of water each day and help us move water more effectively to the places where it is most needed. They will also reduce the operational interventions, such as refilling pounds and locking up flights overnight, that are currently required to maintain water levels in some locations.
Building resiliance
Malcolm Horne, our chief operations officer, said: “We have used what we learned during the summer to identify the repairs that can make the greatest difference to making the canal network more resilient to drought. By prioritising these 16 projects alongside our existing winter programme, we are investing in the places where work on leaks, lock gates, and feeders will strengthen the network and help protect navigation.
“Our canals are more than 200 years old and were not designed for the increasingly frequent extremes of weather we are now experiencing. We cannot remove every risk, but targeted investment of this kind will make the network more resilient and help us keep canals available for boaters, businesses, communities and wildlife.”
Retaining water and supporting navigation
During the summer drought, we activated our highest level of operational response and redirected resources towards retaining water and supporting navigation. This included repairing lock gates and paddles, finding and fixing leaks, improving feeder channels and bringing forward work where temporary closures created opportunities to carry out repairs.
The canals’ age and construction mean that it is neither practical nor possible to eliminate every leak. We therefore prioritises problems that present the greatest threat to infrastructure, water supply, and navigation: reducing avoidable water loss and improving the movement of water around the network.
Details of any navigation restrictions needed to carry out the work will be published through our notices and stoppages system
