By FCC’s Honorary Water Engineer Chris Broome
Finally, nearly three years on from obtaining detailed planning approval, we have made a start on the restoration of the Cromford Canal from the southern, Langley Mill, end. The first stage is a 1km reach from Langley Mill Basin under the A610 and along as far as Stoney Lane. To make things more ‘interesting’ we cross the administrative boundary between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as we go under the A610. But we like a challenge!
Before we can start construction of the canal itself, we have to undertake some enabling works. The first phase of these works was commenced in July and involves the culverting of two small watercourses that cross the site of the canal alongside Hall Road, on the west side of the A610. We have been fortunate to have had the Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) come along to lead on the construction work.
FCC have ordered and paid for materials and plant and provided assistance on site as needed. WRG were on site for 4 days and in that time they managed to complete the construction of a new concrete manhole and start the laying of the 600mm diameter culvert. Since then, volunteers from FCC have completed 42m of the culvert across the site. Some preparation work has also been undertaken by FCC for WRG’s return to complete the land drainage work planned for the beginning of September.
Some site clearance works have been done on the east side of the road bridge and some fill material placed in the southern arch of the bridge so that we have deemed to have made a start on the future footpath under the bridge inside the Broxtowe Council’s administrative area, to comply with their planning conditions.
WRG were to be onsite again from 31st August for 5 days to compete the land drainage works involving laying 16m of 900mm diameter concrete culverts, the conversion of a large concrete headwall into a chamber which is an in situ reinforced concreting job, the placing of precast concrete headwalls onto the downstream ends of both the 600mm and 900mm culverts and the benching out of the new concrete ring manhole.
FCC volunteers will be involved again like last time assisting WRG volunteers with placing pipe bedding and backfilling around structures, trenches etc. At the end of Day 5 it is hoped that Phase 1 of the enabling works will be completed or at least mostly completed. If all goes to plan this will be completed by the time you read this! Any remaining minor works will be finished off by FCC work party volunteers.
Phase Two
Phase 2 of the Enabling Works is likely to be undertaken next year. This will involve the construction of a flood storage compensation area located on the north side of Hall Road and the 900mm diameter culvert. When we start to construct the canal out of Langley Mill basin, the canal will be occupying part of the River Erewash floodplain. Its towpath will be set at a level above the one-in-100-year-plus climate change flood level so that the canal isn’t flooded except in a really extreme event.
The Environment Agency requires us to compensate for the loss of the floodplain storage by lowering some ‘high’ ground along the edge of the floodplain so that it becomes part of the floodplain. A scheme was submitted as part of the planning application for the Beggarlee Extension. Since then, a revised scheme has been proposed which doesn’t impact on the A610 road embankment and I shall be submitting this to the EA for approval later this year. The scheme is purely earthworks so it is possible that FCC volunteers may be able to undertake these works themselves in the spring/summer of 2024. We are not allowed to start work on the canal itself until the compensation scheme is completed.
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Pete Fleming and his motley crew of volunteers from WRG for their stoic efforts so far on this project. It is not easy work especially in wet weather when the ground can become very muddy and difficult to work in. May I also thank John Barker and his volunteers for their hard work. It is a team effort all round. By doing this work using volunteers we have been able to save FCC a not inconsiderable amount of funds which would have been paid out to a commercial contractor to do the same work.
We have also been fortunate to be receiving a grant from Derbyshire Environment Trust to pay for some of the materials we have purchased for the works. The final cost for the land drainage works isn’t yet known but is expected to be around the £45,000 mark. A civil engineering contractor would be charging more than double this amount! With the expected grant, the final cost to FCC should be around about £20,000 which is pretty good value, everything considered.
A start has been made!
Good pix; Not sure exactly what captions should be but suggest something along following lines to cover both? Looks like ‘during and after’ pix to me. Chris is on well-deserved holiday. Crop from sides if you need to
Large scale work has now begun at Beggarlee.