On Friday 11 January, leading civil and environmental engineering company, Land & Water, held a volunteer’s day in partnership with the Canal & River Trust at its project site - the Montgomery Canal.
The Port of Tilbury has obtained a Development Consent Order (DCO) via the national infrastructure planning system to build a new Port (‘Tilbury2’) at an old coal burning Power Station site. The expansion project involved the creation of 2.5km new wet drainage ditches which were planted up with mature vegetation, developing an ecologically suitable habitat for the voles to be translocated to. The new ditches were created to replace the 2.5km of ditches that will be lost when the development commences. The TES team carried out the planting in September.
The Montgomery Canal was closed for boats for many years but is now being restored as a cruiseway through the Welsh countryside. It is located in Powys, Eastern Wales connecting to the Llangollen Canal. It is one of the most important canals in the country for nature and much of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Land & Water is currently creating a winding hole at the site to widen a specific area of the canal towards Crickheath, which will be used for turning canal boats around.
Land & Water has worked alongside The Canal & River Trust for more than 20 years. The company is the official contractor for its National Dredging Contract which means Land & Water is responsible for the delivery of the trust’s asset-delivery plan for all dredging, vegetation clearance and associated minor ancillary civils. Land & Water is also its preferred contractor for all moorings and marina development on behalf of its waterside team.
There are many opportunities for volunteers of the Canal & River Trust and the restoration project will enable the local community to develop construction and heritage skills. The whole project led and will ultimately be managed by volunteers whilst having continued support of the Canal & River Trust.
Lucy Lee, Contracts Manager at Land & Water comments: “The Canal & River Trust has been restoring the Montgomery Canal since 1969. We have previously worked for the trust on this canal at the Aston Nature Reserves, so we were excited to be chosen for the winding hole contract at Crickheath.
We are delighted to continually support the Canal & River Trust for the restoration of the canal and the volunteer’s day was a great opportunity to get everyone together and celebrate the progress of the project so far.”
0844 225 1958