Bottom Barge Lock, Stourport Basin

Works have now commenced on site and are progressing steadily at Bottom Barge Lock, Stourport Basin.

Due to the nature of the issue and the extent of the damage uncovered during the investigation, it is not currently possible to provide a fixed timescale for completion of the repairs. We should be able to provide a clearer indication of the programme once the repair works have progressed further.

We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

We are currently planning to mobilise all necessary plant and equipment to site in order to investigate the issue.

At this stage, the exact nature and extent of the problem remains unknown. A full assessment can only be undertaken once the affected section has been de-watered.

Portadams are scheduled to be installed on Thursday, after which pumping operations will commence to remove water from the affected area. Once de-watered, our team will carry out a detailed inspection and assessment of the asset.

If all proceeds as planned, a repair team will be mobilised to site next week to undertake the necessary works and restore navigation as quickly and safely as possible.

We will provide a further update once the de-watering process is complete and we have a clearer understanding of the repairs required.

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience and understanding.

The repair is still being planned out, we will provide further information in the PM of 20th July.

Apologies we are not in a position to be able to provide any more information as this time.

Further investigations have now been completed by our engineers at Bottom Barge Lock, Stourport Basin.

The assessment has identified a void beneath the bottom gate cill, which is preventing the lock from filling correctly. As a result, the repair is more complex than initially anticipated.

Our engineering team are currently reviewing the findings and developing an appropriate repair plan. We expect to provide a further update by Friday 17 July 2026.

We apologise for the continued inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve this issue.

Please be advised that investigation works are continuing with engineers due to complete an assessment of the damage to the bottom end cill.

We apologise for any inconvenience and will post any updates on here as soon as we receive them.

Please be advised that the Bottom Barge Lock at Stourport Basins is closed until further notice because the bottom end cill is damaged and the lock cannot be filled.

We apologise for any inconvenience and will post any updates as soon as we get them on this notice.