News

Project Manager Notes.
From the onset of 2008, our project has focussed on securing outline planning permission for the entire canal scheme. The process has been delayed by a need to comprehensively formulate titled ownership and identify all people and organisations affected by the canal. A detailed search by the Land Registry has identified at least one hundred and forty titles, almost five times our original estimate.
After much effort to modify our submission, we appear to be near completion. The only remaining task being notification of all land owners and shared public utilities entities, a situation hopefully leading to us obtaining final engineering design for both the Spondon and Draycott sections.
In the event that we are unable to commence full scale canalisation of the Spondon mile this summer, the preferred time for undertaking excavation and material placement, then the programme will be restricted to minor remedial works, and commencement of major works will be sidelined until March, 2009.
Meanwhile we are hopeful that engineering and landscaping works will commence on the Draycott Ditch in the winter of 2008. The breeding pattern of the indigenous water vole, during March to September, restricts construction at the Draycott ditch to the winter.
Although, the delays in the planning process have been frustrating, I remain confident that we will, step by step, put ourselves in a position to set up on the site very shortly, whether we are performing minor exploratory surveys or major works.
We further strengthened the project management team in this first quarter by the appointment of Deepak Gill, an experienced environmental scientist, who will benefit from the recently completed Spondon - Borrowash ecological survey, performed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. The team are currently working on creating a canal garden for Draycott, encompassing the creation of a woodland tow path, wetlands for small mammals (voles) and a working horticultural garden (working botanic gardens, flora, and growing media etc); all designed to promote the biodiversity of the entire canal corridor and ultimately replicate all the ecological features of the Derby Canal on a 1,600m section.
I am aware the Society hallmarked the Draycott Co-op cottages as a potential visitor and educational H.Q. for our canal, an initiative that compliments the canal garden project. Notwithstanding that, recently the East Midlands Airport community fund has provided wildlife web cameras to be located at Draycott for recording the antics of the water vole colony.
We are presently preoccupied with performing final engineering designs and cost analysis, through a sustainable build approach, using recycled and reusable materials wherever possible, to attract the required private and public sector funding.
A recent shift in our approach to securing capital funds for the entire canal scheme has been promoting environmental and sustainable transportation benefits, delivering reductions in road traffic and associated pollution, by utilising the navigable inland waterway and enhanced cycle and pedestrian routes, we expect to deliver economic gains for the City and neighbouring communities.  
I look forward to another update in the coming months, hopefully announcing our granted planning permission.
Rob Hartley.