Preamble The restoration of the Grantham Canal has been in progress since the late 1960s/ early 1970s. Active restoration has focused on the east end of the canal within the South Kesteven District Council/ Lincolnshire County Council area, largely because that is where funding has been most readily available and the councils have been consistently encouraging and co-operative. By the end of this decade almost £10 million worth of restoration will have been completed out of an estimated £50 million (+?) project cost. The Grantham Canal Society (GCS) has decided, while continuing to work from the east, to develop a new project zone much further west, on what is known as the Cropwell Dry Section. This will be the second major project in Nottinghamshire, the first being the £400,000 project to restore Hickling Basin and nearly three miles of canal in the mid – 1990’s. The section is approx. 4.7 miles in length. The bed of the canal requires extensive clearance, as do the banks. WHY Cropwell Dry Section Project 1/ It is in Nottinghamshire; the closest major project to the west (metropolitan) end of the canal on the existing cut 2/ It will take considerable time to execute – many imponderables, unknowns and uncertainties 3/ There is local community interest which GCS intends to mature 4/ As it is dry the necessary but restrictive conditions on working with water in the cut do not apply 5/ Will create long-term publicity and participation opportunities 6/ Can be done in parallel with existing restoration projects 7/ Local British Geological Survey expertise available A. Nottinghamshire This project is in Nottinghamshire the significance of which lies in its potential for raising the profile of the canal in that county. Probably only 1 person in 10 who live north of the Trent have even heard of the canal and raising that awareness is a vital objective for the GCS. Oh that the founders had called it the Nottingham to Grantham Canal (AKA The Leeds – Liverpool). This is the closest major project to the west (metropolitan) end of the canal on the existing cut – the Trent Connection will be much bigger but much has to be done before we are in a position to tackle that. B. Considerable Time to Execute This is not a project to be rushed, as there are likely to be many imponderables, unknowns and uncertainties yet to be revealed. Initial research, planning and preparation can take place in parallel to the clearance of the canal as referred to in point 3 below. C. Local Community Interest This interest is already manifesting itself from not just CBPC but also from CB’s individual residents. GCS intends to develop this interest and work in active partnership with the community along the section. This will also involve also approaching Kinoulton and Cotgrave PCs as the dry section begins and ends just inside those parish boundaries. Until recently it was thought that housing development close to the canal would have impact and trigger potential opportunities but apparently planning permission has been refused. D. Benefit of the Section Being Dry As the Cropwell Section is dry the necessary but restrictive conditions on working with water in the cut do not apply. Having cleared the section work parties will work to maintain that clearance and GCS will seek to restore water in short sections from the Kinoulton end. A rolling series of cofferdams will facilitate that progression. Restoration work can be undertaken on an incremental basis and controlled water flow used to test water retentiveness section by section. E. Publicity and Participation Both long-term publicity and participation opportunities of benefit to the canal can be achieved through this project. A key objective of the GCS is to greatly increase the involvement of the community along the entire canal corridor and this project provides such an opportunity. That participation, beside the progress made, will provide ample opportunity for profile-raising publicity. F. Balancing Resources Running parallel projects presents a few potential problems but without the pressing nature of water flow this project can be undertaken as a second stringer. Working in parallel with existing east end projects resources can be balanced according to the stage reached. G. Local British Geological Survey Expertise Available Given the unknowns attached to the gypsum penetrated geology it is fortunate that we have the BGS in close vicinity and even more fortunate that one of their retired geologists has already offered his expertise to the GCS. Planning and Preparation Issues At this early stage the GCS intends to open up conversation with the following: Canal and River Trust Cropwell Bishop Parish Council Rushcliffe Borough Council Waterways Recovery Group and BITM Building the working relationship between GCS, Cropwell Bishop Parish Council, parish residents, local business interests, CRT and Rushcliffe Borough Council around this project is critical. At a practical level we will proritise the clearance of both canal bed and banks and subsequently maintain that cleared state. David Lyneham-Brown Chief Executive/ General Manager

To RE-WATER CROPWELL DRY SECTION Project Presentation by David Lyneham-Brown October 2018