The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 7,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers. See inside for our fantastic range of activities over the next few months
Lichfield Branch
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Lichfield Branch
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• A View From The Helm Page 3
• IWA 80th Anniversary Page 5
• Forthcoming Events Page 6 Walks, Meetings and Events until May 2026
• Recent Activities Page 7 Walks and Meetings
• Branch AGM Agenda Page 8
• BCNS Explorer Cruises Page 17
• Tips From River Canal Rescue Page 17
• Planning Matters Page 19
• Editorial Notice Page 25
• Committee List Page 26
Front page photos—Happy diners at the Branch Christmas Lunch
The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy, or as an official pronouncement, unless specifically identified as such.
The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342
Registered Office: Hardy House, Northbridge Road. Berkhamsted HP4 1EF Tel: 01494 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk
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View From The Helm
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I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.
Looking back on 2025, in boating terms I think it can be described as a quite a calamitous year. It began and ended with two serious breaches, firstly the Bridgewater Canal on New Years Day and then Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch just before Christmas, and a lot of disruption in between due to other structural failures such as on the Macclesfield Canal and many other stoppages throughout the country. When you add to this the number of lengthy canal closures due to the severe water shortages, it all adds up to a pretty bad year for the boating community and the related businesses.
As we look forward to 2026, we all hope that 2025 was just an exception, but will this be the case or will it become increasingly common? Even without climate change our waterways are under so much strain following years of cost cutting and under-funding. Added to this, not only are the culverts aging, but so are many other parts of the system too. I doubt our canals were built to withstand the pressures of our modern climate extremes.
The breach at Whitchurch, was initially thought to have been caused by a culvert failure, then latterly that it may have been a simple embankment failure. As we go to press, the likely cause is yet to be confirmed. This one was more headlines grabbing than previous breaches due to the dramatic photos and video footage of the boats lying within the cavernous depths of the breach. Sad and catastrophic though it was, one positive might be that the dramatic footage in the media and the subsequent scale of public interest, will have increased the awareness of the precarious plight of our waterways to a much wider audience, and that can only be a good thing as we continue our efforts to garner more public support for proper funding.
On a more positive note, despite the aforementioned issues, 2025 has been a good year for our branch. Member numbers have held up quite well, and we have attracted some new ones too.
We had a varied and interesting range of talks at our social evenings at Darwin Hall in
The Breach at Whitchurch
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Lichfield, and I’d like to thank Sheila, Heather, and Chris for their hard work with the catering, as well as the others who help with setting out and putting away the seats and tables; A real team effort.
Despite the rather inclement weather, our annual Lock Wind in August was another success, with both passing boaters and the local public taking an interest in what we do, and some funds were raised from the selling of cakes and IWA merchandise.
Clive Walker’s bi-monthy walks were fascinating and varied. Participation numbers were about the same as usual but we’d love more members to join them during the coming year.
We had a presence at several events, the Huddlesford Gathering for example; and thanks to Helen Whitehouse for the tremendous job she does for our outside events, organising the gazebo, storing and replenishing the stock that enables us to raise funds for our branch, which she also does at our social evenings. We’d like to attend more events but in order to do so we need some help from more members please. Our pre-Christmas meal at Darnford Moors Golf Club was a resounding success with a record 37 members attending. A huge thank you to Sue Gurney for organising the event and for all her hard work and dedication looking after the branch finances throughout the year.
As you are no doubt aware, Phil Sharpe scrutinises all the planning applications affecting our local canals, and these days there appear to be an unprecedented number of them. Thanks to Phil we have been quite successful with either preventing some of the potentially detrimental developments happening, or getting them modified to be more acceptable for the local waterways environment in which they pass through. Phil’s diligence and the many hours he spends scrutinising them is quite remarkable and we are extremely grateful for all his hard work.
The tail end of 2025 saw us begin our 8th consecutive winter carrying out the offside vegetation cutting, this time heading south on the Coventry Canal with the aim of reaching Marston Junction by the time the cutting season has to finish at the end of February. Our partnership with CRT (we do 2 days a week) has continued to be a great success.
I’d like to finish with an acknowledgement and thanks for the tremendous work our other volunteers do behind the scenes to help to keep our branch so active
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and vibrant for our members. As well as our small committee, Pete Gurney deals with our website, publicity posters, and produces Lichfield Lines, this wonderful quarterly magazine, and Richard Curtis ensures that members are regularly updated with events via Facebook and other social media platforms.
2026 will no doubt produce some challenges both nationally and locally, but rest assured that your IWA branch will continue to represent you members, and to look after your interests wherever possible, but please remember that it’s your branch, and the more feedback and involvement from you, the better we will be able to achieve this.
Neil Barnett, Chairman, IWA Lichfield Branch
IWA 80th Anniversary
2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the momentous event in 1946 when Tom Rolt, Robert Aickman and others formed the Inland Waterways Association. Charlie Norman, IWA’s Campaigns and Public Affairs Director put forward the aims of the present day’s IWA very succinctly in the January Briefing. These were her words.
“1st January, dawns on IWA’s 80th year. We will be renewing our focus on restoration and centring volunteering more. The gift of time volunteers donate makes so much restoration possible, and coupled with firm but friendly guidance to Canal & River Trust (I hope you were able to read our additional December Bulletin devoted to this subject), encouraging them away from deprioritising restoration activity means that we are clear about what we want to achieve in 2026. As we look back with pride, but forward with purpose, our thanks continue to our longstanding supporters who make our work possible.”
Special 80th Anniversary Logos will be used alongside the standard logo for this year. Below are some samples.
Lichfield Branch
Forthcoming Events
All our Social Meetings will be held at Darwin Hall, off Heathcot Place, Lichfield WS13 6RQ at 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start.
Friday February 20th 2026—Social Meeting
'Bringing Boats back to Burslem'
An illustrated talk by Dave Broome on the history of the Burslem Branch Canal and the achievements of Burslem Port Trust to date and their ambitious plans for the future.
Thursday 5th March 2026—Guided
Walk
“Pelsall and Brownhills with two canals” This is an easy 4.5 mile walk with no stiles. We first follow the Wyrley & Essington Canal towards the outskirts of Brownhills where we join a disused colliery line, before crossing a field to enter the Cannock Extension Canal by Pelsall Road Bridge. From there we walk along the towpath back to our starting point.
Meet 10:15 for a 10:30 start on Thursday 5th March 2026 at The Fingerpost, Yorks Bridge, Norton Road, Pelsall WS3 5AU
Contact Clive Walker on clive.walker@waterways.org.uk
Friday 13th to Sunday 15th March 2026—BCN Cleanup
Every year, about 50 volunteers spend two days removing an estimated 20 to 30 tonnes of rubbish from the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN). The Annual Birmingham Canals Clean-up weekend is the perfect chance to have fun, meet new people, and help clear shopping trolleys, tyres, bicycles – and perhaps even more surprising finds – from the canals. This yearly effort on the BCN helps keep the less-used sections of the BCN & Black Country Network clear, preventing them from becoming clogged with rubbish and impassable for boats.
This year, Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) volunteers will be working on the Daw End Canal, tackling grappling tasks and offside vegetation clearance. Volunteers are joined each year by members of IWA West Midlands branches, Canal & River Trust, Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, and Coombeswood Canal Trust.
To find out more and book your space see: Birmingham Canals Clean-up 2026
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Friday March 20th 2026—AGM and Social Meeting
The formalities of the AGM will be fairly brief and we will be able to enjoy an illustrated talk by Branch member John Parry. John has given us several interesting talks with his subject this time being “The Upper Trent Navigation and The Bond End Canal”
Friday April 17th 2026—Social Meeting
Our speaker tonight will be Bernard Chell giving us an illustrated talk on “The Nottingham Canal”.
Thursday 7th May 2026—Guided Walk
Our May walk will be around Minworth. Keep an eye on the website for final details.
Saturday/Sunday 16th/17th May 2026—Moira Canal Festival
This will again be held at Moira Furnace Museum on the banks of the Ashby Canal. See Page 15 For full details.
Recent Activities
Thursday 6th November 2025—Guided Walk
Stoke Golding & the Ashby Canal
For such a small town Stoke Golding has a surprising amount of history. Down the hill from where we met up in the car park of The George & Dragon is a blue plaque commemorating the site where Henry VII was crowned for the first time after winning the Battle of Bosworth, and shortly after setting off along Main Street we came across another blue plaque. This one was dedicated to “William Trymnell, Gentleman”. The Trymnells owned considerable property in Stoke Golding. Captain Trymnell fought with the Royalists in the Civil War, and on his death, he left a large sum of money to the village poor. The walkers posed for a group photo in front of the impressive town sign. We soon turned right by the cemetery into a small nature reserve.
Contd on Page 9
Lichfield Branch
IWA LICHFIELD BRANCH
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
FRIDAY 20th MARCH 2026, at 7:30 PM
1. Apologies for absence
AGENDA
2. Approval of the minutes of the 2025 AGM and any matters arising from these minutes.
3. Report from the Branch Chairman
4. Financial Report from the Branch Treasurer
5. Elections to the Committee
a) Members completing 3 years in post and eligible for re-election (none)
b) Members co-opted since last AGM and willing to stand for election (none)
c) Any other candidates
6. Any resolutions requested by members of the Branch (provided the Branch Chairman was notified in writing of the item at least 6 weeks prior to the AGM*)
7. Any other Business Notes
• Candidates for election to the committee must be current members of Lichfield Branch and should indicate their willingness to stand.
• The Branch Committee Officers (Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) are elected by the committee from its members at their first meeting after the AGM.
Current members of the Committee are: Neil Barnett (Chairman), Sue Gurney (Treasurer), Phil Sharpe (Secretary), Adrian Wedgwood (Membership), Derek Beardsmore.
*Item 6: Please put any resolutions in writing and address them to the Secretary at 34 Old Eaton Road, Rugeley, Staffs WS15 2EZ or by email to lichfield@waterways.org.uk by 6th February 2026
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Ahead was a square brick tower. This is a reconstruction of the original wooden watchtower, from where the Royal Observer Corps monitored enemy aircraft movements during the Second World War. Alongside it is an innocuous-looking grassy knoll, which at first glance appears to be a weather station. But it holds a dark secret. It is the entrance to a deep bunker (now in private hands) from where the ROC would monitor radioactive fallout following a nuclear attack. It officially closed in 1991, and due to its rarity and good preservation it has now been awarded a grade II listing. From here our route continued across fields and over five stiles until we eventually reached the Ashby Canal by Basin Bridge, number 22. We followed the towpath northwards past Ashby Boats and the Ashby Canal Centre before leaving the canal by Foster’s Bridge, number 27.
It was then a short walk uphill back to our starting point where we enjoyed refreshment.
Friday 21st November 2025—Social Meeting
For our social evening in November, we had a fascinating talk by Peter Simpson the Canal & River Trust’s Principal Engineer for Tunnels & Culverts. It was intriguing to have an intimate look inside some of their tunnels and to hear of the history about how they were initially built, how they are regularly inspected, and what is involved when any remedial work has to be carried out, as well as the ‘dark history’ of some of them. It was extremely well attended so it is obviously a popular subject, and will now give us a different perspective as we slowly chug through them.
Sunday 14th December 2025—Branch Christmas Lunch
The venue for this was again the Darnford Moors Golf Club and a great meal was enjoyed by all. It was an excellent social event and it was great to see some new faces amongst the numbers.
See following pages for some pictures.
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Thursday 1st January 2026—Guided Walk
Atherstone and the Coventry Canal
We last visited Atherstone on New Year’s Day in 2023, when seventeen walkers assembled in the foyer of The Red Lion Hotel. This year the starting point was the same but this time with fifteen walkers. It would have been more, but the winter bugs had taken their toll. Nonetheless it was pleasing to see some less frequent walkers among our group.
We set off towards Atherstone top lock where we noticed a white pulley, horizontally mounted, and just below the top gate of the Lock 1 on the towpath side. By chance one of our members is a volunteer lock keeper on this flight and he explained that it dates to the horse-drawn days when there was a wharf on that side immediately above the lock. Apparently, lock keepers don’t like people using it, and it has been painted bright white since it is a trip hazard!
We descended the flight and left the Coventry Canal for the first time by bridge 43 and The King’s Head. We walked past the entrance to Merevale Hall, crossed a roundabout and stopped by an innocuous looking grey house on the opposite side of the road. There is a black and white photograph that shows locomotive BeyerPeacock 6841 William Francis crossing the A5 at this point. Judging by the car in the foreground (a Ford Zephyr?) this photo must have been taken some time in the 1960s. With modern traffic it is impossible to imagine such an event happening today. There is no level crossing, no Hi-vis gear, just a man with a flag and the driver of the car (in the middle of the carriageway) is waiting patiently for the train to cross!
Here, we entered the Baddesley Colliery line, aka “The Paddy Line”, with an average gradient of 1 in 47. The path ascends through a deep tree-lined cutting, and it is not hard to imagine the locomotive chugging its way up the incline and then descending fully laden with coal. After a second group photo with the Gothic mansion of Merevale Hall in the background, we left the colliery line after half a mile and walked back down Waste Lane. We crossed the busy A5 at the designated crossing point and carried on down Whittington Lane towards the Coventry Canal, which we re-joined at bridge 45. We headed back past lock
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7 and Baddesley Wharf (marked in my old Pearson’s as Barry Hawkins, when did that name cease, I wonder?) and left the canal again by bridge 43, underneath the low railway bridge to Long Street and back to The Red Lion Hotel. When I initially enquired about a table reservation back in September, I had been told it would not be possible to book for a group of our size, but thankfully the duty manager put us all together and we enjoyed brunch and liquid refreshment
Clive Walker
Friday 16th January 2026—Social Meeting
At our January social evening we had an interesting and informative talk by Katy Shore -Kapsis from The Lichfield Waterworks Trust about the esteemed local engineer and philanthropist John Robinson McLean, and his involvement with local projects including Lichfield’s Sandfields Pumping Station as well as his involvement with our local canals.
The pumping station opened in 1858 to provide clean water to the Black Country towns. It was expanded in 1866 and again in 1873. One of the Cornish Beam Engines is still in place and the Lichfield Waterworks Trust aims to restore this to working condition.
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Explorer Cruises
We are early with dates for this years Explorer Cruises, it just shows how keen our cruise leaders are!
In 2026 there will be three BCN Explorer Cruises.
If you have not been on one of these, now is your chance. The cruises are limited to those who have not been on one before as the reason behind these cruises is to introduce boaters to the BCN that have not cruised it before, mainly because they are afraid to.
They are well organised, have great fun and receive good reviews. These are the dates:-
16th May - 22nd May
27th June - 4th July
28th Aug - 4th Sept
You do not need to be a member of BCNS, in fact most entrants are not and receive a free membership for one year on entry. Many continue with their membership after the first year.
If you are interested in any of these cruises or you know anyone who is then please respond to:- bcns.explorercruise@gmail.com
Tips From River Canal Rescue
Protect against winter downpours
With meteorologists predicting a mild winter - causing the atmosphere to hold more water, leading to frequent and intense rainfall events - River Canal Rescue managing director, Stephanie Horton, is advising how to protect boats against sudden downpours and changes in water levels.
“Mooring ropes should be loose enough to cope with sudden changes in water levels. Check when mooring up if there are any ledges or plinths that could cause the boat to list if water levels drop. If a mooring’s at risk of flooding, run a rope to locations that can still be accessed even in a flood situation.
“To stop a vessel drifting onto land when water levels rise, position a scaffold pole or poles, or a boarding plank, between the boat and the river/canal side edge and fix it
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into position. This acts as a mooring post, preventing flood waters from floating the boat onto land.
“Consider, when mooring up, what could happen; will you need additional mooring lines (if so, rig them so you can adjust from the boat and get on and off easily)? If on a river with a strong flow, investing in chains is an option. Importantly, moor to something strong enough to hold 20 tons of boat.”
Water ingress
Alongside weather-related emergencies, Stephanie reports badly-worn deck boards and leaking stern glands, blocked drain holes and rusted gas lockers are key contributors to water ingress.
“Engine bays covered by marine-ply deck boards are supported by a C-shaped steel channel with drain holes to collect any seeping rainwater. If the drain holes block with debris, leaves and dirt etc, water flows over the channel sides into the engine bay.
Over time, the wooden deck boards decay, creating a wider gap between them, and so the downward spiral continues; more debris falls into the channel holes and more water flows into the engine bay. Prevent this by replacing worn deck boards and clearing drainage holes.
“If a stern gland leaks when the vessel is stationary, it can potentially flood the engine area. As this collar of rubber or brass forms a barrier where the propeller shaft exits the hull, it must be well-greased with tight packing. The grease should act as a seal while not in use and you can tighten it by adjusting the nut on the stern tube.
“If greasing and tightening the adjust bolts fails to slow the leak, the packing may need replacing. Address this fast; a quick build-up of water will cause the vessel to sinkeven if you have a bilge pump, it will soon be overwhelmed.
“When the propeller shaft is turning, a stern gland should only leak a few drops a minute (dependent on age and type). Water must circulate through the stern gland to keep it cool. If you’re unsure what adjustment to make, check the stern gland temperature; if it’s too hot, the packing’s too tight.
“Rusty areas in gas lockers can eventually allow water to leak in to the engine room;
Outlets lower to the water can be disastrous
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this is one of the top causes of insurance claims being rejected so ensure you check here.
“Water build up in the engine bay will cause the vessel to sit lower in the water, which in turn puts shower, sink or air outlets nearer to the water level, often with devastating results.
“Water ingress should not be a problem if you have a bilge pump. If possible, invest in an automatic one as it’s more reliable than a manual. Once left on the ‘automatic’ setting, its float switch dictates when it should pump, ensuring an immediate response to water ingress. And should a leak develop from elsewhere, such as the cooling system or hull, it will keep your vessel safe. If leaving your boat for long periods, regularly check the battery.
“If you have a bilge pump, install an environmentally-friendly bilge filter, such as Bilgeaway - this stops your boat pumping pollutants into the waterways and is a condition of the BSS.”
“Warnings against torrential rain may appear out of place, given this year we’ve witnessed numerous canal closures, restrictions and groundings due to low water levels, but now the tide has turned and those same waterways are starting to flood,” says Stephanie, “and as we know, climate change is leading to more extreme weather conditions which will continue to impact boating life.”
Planning Matters
This report summarises the more notable of about 40 planning matters dealt with between mid-October 2025 and mid-January 2026.
Along the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, a Conservation Area throughout both counties was designated back in 1978, and the section in Stafford Borough was appraised and revised in 2016. But South Staffordshire Council have never updated their section, which caused us problems at the West Midlands Interchange Examination in 2019. At the South Staffordshire Local Plan Examination in November I participated in the session on ‘Enhancing the Historic Environment’ and requested additional text on producing updated Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans for the Staffs & Worcs Canal, and also the Shropshire Union and Stourbridge canals. The Inspector said the Council should discuss the wording of a modification with IWA and I sent suggested text to the Conservation Officer.
Between Gailey and Four Ashes the canal towpath will be improved with a bitumen bound gravel surface 1.5 metres wide, which is an agreed mitigation benefit from the massive West Midlands Interchange warehouse development now underway.
Near Brinsford Bridge, a gypsy traveller caravan site on the offside of the canal has been incrementally extended over many years, often with unauthorised buildings being retrospectively allowed. The latest application proposes a ‘day room’ significantly larger than the existing ones, and with inclusion of a first floor bathroom it is
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effectively a two storey, two bedroom house. But there are no special circumstances to justify converting this Green Belt traveller site to a housing estate.
On the Trent & Mersey Canal at Brereton in Rugeley, an acceptable application for partial demolition and rebuilding of two old cottages on Armitage Road also includes two new houses on the historic canalside site of Mossley Wharf within the Trent & Mersey Canal Conservation Area. The wharf is an open green space area with significant heritage and wildlife value, including a nesting site for swans. House A would be built across the infilled canal arm which originally extended back from the winding hole, with issues of unstable made ground. It is also much too close to the winding hole and would have noise disturbance from turning boats. If consent were given both houses should at least be set further back from the canal, but deleting House A would allow partial reinstatement of the arm as a pond and wetland feature. However, any new built development sacrificing this part of the Conservation Area is unnecessary and inappropriate.
The Old Creamery at Kings Bromley Wharf
At Kings Bromley Wharf the old creamery buildings and adjacent land have had a variety of industrial uses over the years and have recently been used for boatbuilding and repairs. A previous Lawful Development Certificate application claiming that it had been in continuous canal-related use since 1777 was refused, and we consider that an almost identical Certificate of Lawfulness application should also be refused. Whilst IWA generally supports boatyards, their operations can involve noise and visual impact, and here there is potential pollution of the canal and concerns about canal bank stability. This may affect the Canal’s Conservation Area and the adjacent Kings Bromley Marina resident boaters so should be subject to proper planning and environmental controls requiring a full planning application.
At Fradley Junction, Junction House also known as Wharf House is an interesting Georgian building probably dating from the opening of the Coventry Canal there in 1789 or soon afterwards. As the principal building at the Junction it may have housed and provided office space for the canal’s superintendent, wharf manager or toll collector, and is a Listed Building within the Conservation Area. New owners have recently carried out extensive internal and external works without prior consent,
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including removing all the towpath hedge alongside Junction Lock and replacing it by extensive steel fencing and a gate labelled ‘Junction Manor’. Following action by the Council’s Enforcement Officer, Planning and Listed Building Consent applications have now been submitted, but they misrepresent the extent and visual impact of the fencing, which is inappropriate, with no historic precedence and visually intrusive. In objecting we acknowledged that some form of boundary is reasonable for privacy and security but that this should be either a reinstated hedge or a low brick wall, or some combination of the two, which would be compatible with the location’s heritage.
At Alrewas, between the bypass bridge and Bagnall Lock, the application for 2 office buildings has again been refused. Further along, by Kents Bridge, a proposal to replace the disused garage buildings by one or two houses was acceptable in principle and has been approved, although the unusual Permission in Principle application does not provide any details at this stage.
At the side of Barton Marina, a row of 9 single storey craft shops was permitted in 2014, then amended, then changed in 2016 to a two storey block with upstairs offices, then amended again and approved in 2017. There was also a separate application in 2022 for 17 motel units on the same site and to a similar design, approved in 2023, then with a simplified design approved again in 2024. Despite all these permissions, none of this has yet been built. The latest plans have now reverted to being craft shops and offices, with a simplified design. We have made no objection, but frankly these constant changes are annoying and the sooner they make their mind up and get something built the better !
In Burton on Trent at Tatenhill, the large housing site at Branston Locks/Lawns Farm continues to grow. The latest plans for the Phase 2 Taylor Wimpey site show two storey houses of traditional brick and render designs facing the canal and set back behind gardens and access drives, with landscaping on the offside bank of the canal. We considered this design and layout to be attractive and acceptable.
Junction House at Fradley
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The Coventry Canal at Hay End Lane in Fradley has a long canalside site allocated for a mixed use development and an application for the first section is for housing. This will be traditional two storey brick houses facing the canal across front gardens, access drives and a broad strip of canalside landscaping, with pedestrian access to the towpath. As this style of layout and design meets what we requested there are no objections.
At Atherstone the lower half of the lock flight will lose much of its attractive rural setting to a very large housing site which was allocated in the 2021 Local Plan and is now the subject of an Outline planning application. It surrounds the canal along ¾ miles of the Atherstone flight from the railway bridge down to near Lock 10. The plans do now include a cyclepath alongside the towpath and a new offside path providing circular walks, as we had requested. However, the Environmental Statement doesn’t properly recognise the recreational use and tourism value of the canal, and misrepresents its history and heritage value and the importance of its rural setting. The application does not meet the Local Plan requirement for “landscaping and development siting to ensure a clear division between the development and the canal”. Building heights near the canal proposed as up to four storeys should be limited to two storeys. The proposed canalside retail unit, take-away and pub are ill-considered and inappropriately located. There should not be uncertainty about the inclusion of a new canal bridge for the Spine Road at this Outline stage. The Masterplan should be changed to set back buildings behind a broad buffer zone along both sides of the canal, with public open space, parkland, woodland, wildflower meadows, sports fields, play areas, etc. as well as the drainage basins. Our response concludes that without these changes the application is unacceptable and should be refused.
Overlooking the canal above Atherstone locks, the longderelict Britannia Works hat factory had redevelopment consent in 2022 for 70 extra-care apartments. The design has changed several times and no longer retains any part of the original buildings, but the latest plans for a brick -faced 4 storey
The view from Lock 8 on the Coventry Canal
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apartment block is reasonably attractive and, hopefully, will finally remove the current eyesore buildings.
Affecting the Ashby Canal, a further stage of consultation on the Local Plan includes a Hinckley Western Link Road crossing the canal near Barn Lane Bridge 19 on the west side of Hinckley. The potential route is safeguarded as a broad corridor, but said to be at a very early stage of development. This may delay the previously proposed westwards extension of the Hinckley West housing site to the canal, and also the Wapping & Harrow Farm employment site on the other side of the canal (which we objected to at the pre-application stage), as both are crossed by the Link Road.
Around Moira Furnace, North West Leicestershire District Council are planning a series of new and replacement signs, finger posts, information and interpretation boards and lecterns, including some on the canalside. We were pleased to support this which now been approved.
The Wyrley & Essington Canal along with its Daw End Branch and the Rushall Canal will all be affected by large development site allocations on greenfield sites in the Green Belt proposed in the Walsall Borough Local Plan, Issues & Preferred Options. This revives housing sites previously proposed in the Black Country Plan (discontinued in 2022) at Sandhills in Brownhills, Yorks Bridge at Pelsall, Yieldsfield Farm at Bloxwich, and an employment site application at Watling Street. It also adds new housing sites at Black Cock Farm in Brownhills and at Calderfields and Stencill’s Farm near to the Longwood Boat Club moorings. We have objected in principle to all such rural Green Belt development but also requested a buffer zone of a landscaped corridor alongside the canal at each of these sites, in line with the policies on canals in the Plan. These include a Canals Policy to safeguard navigation, protect and enhance heritage, habitats, visual amenity, and water quality, and to upgrade towpaths. It also requires that residential moorings should include necessary facilities. Conservation and improvement of canals is further referenced in the Historic Character and Industrial Archaeology policies. This is not the final stage of the Plan preparation but given the government’s targets for house building and changes to the planning system, it seems likely that many if not all of these sites will be pushed through and the best we can hope for is to limit their visual impact on the canals.
On HS2 the works in Staffordshire, which were ‘paused’ in March 2023 for 2 years, apart from those already underway on the A38 and A5 crossings, have now been paused for a further 4 years to concentrate resources on completing the London to Birmingham route. Amongst other things, this will delay the reconnection of the Lichfield Canal restored length at Darnford Lane to the existing section at Cappers Lane.
Phil Sharpe, Planning Officer & HS2 Lead
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Editorial Notice
Lichfield Lines is the newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch, it is produced 4 times a year to keep members informed about our forthcoming public meetings, walks, work parties and other activities, to provide reports on recent meetings and events, and to include articles of general interest to our members.
The editor, Peter Gurney, welcomes articles, letters or photographs of waterway activities in our Branch area which can be emailed to pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk (Please note there is a 35MB limit for emails with attachments sent via this address). The copy date for the next newsletter will be 15th April 2026, for publication in May.
Advertising
Lichfield Lines is posted or emailed to about 280 Branch members. It can also be read and downloaded by anyone from the Branch website pages.
If you would like to publicise your waterway related business to our members, and others that read the newsletter online, we can offer advertising space at the following rates:
Full Page - £20 inc VAT per issue
Half Page - £10 inc VAT per issue
Please contact the editor to discuss artwork and layout.
By advertising you will help to sponsor IWA's charitable activities and reach potential customers who are all committed to the waterways.
The IWA has a range of corporate members some of whom offer discounts to members. The discount details can be found on the IWA website at https://waterways.org.uk/benefits
Corporate members in our area are
Lichfield Cruising Club 2000 Ltd
Stafford Boat Club Ltd
Longwood Boat Club
Ashby Canal Association
Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust Tamworth Cruising Club
Ashby Canal Trust
Lichfield & Hatherton Canals
Restoration Trust
Canal Transport Services Ltd
River Canal Rescue Ltd
Ash Tree Boat Club
Countywide Cruisers (Brewood) Ltd
Elite Furnishings
Waterways World Ltd
Birmingham & Midland Marine Services
Midland Chandlers Hargreaves Narrowboat Trust
Norton Canes Boat Services Ltd
Lakeland Leisure Estates Ltd
Stafford Riverway Link
Please mention the IWA when contacting any of these Corporate Members.
Lichfield Branch
Your Committee
Chairman
Tel: 07808 846434
Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Treasurer
Tel: 01785 255101
Email: sue.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Secretary & Planning Officer
Tel: 01889 583330
Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk
Volunteer Coordinator & Navigation
Tel: 07808 846434
Email: neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk
Membership Officer
Tel: 01283 713125
Email: adrianwedgwood1941@gmail.com
Member
Tel: 07847 470112
Email: derek.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk
Neil Barnett
Sue Gurney
Phil Sharpe
Neil Barnett
Adrian Wedgwood
Derek Beardsmore
Social Secretary Position vacant
Non-Committee Posts
Branch Sales
Tel: 01543 491161
Email: helen.whitehouse@waterways.org.uk
Newsletter and Website Editor
Tel: 01785 255101
Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk
Walks Coordinator
Email: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk
Social Media Editor
Email: Richard.curtis@waterways.org.uk
Branch Contact Address
Email: lichfield@waterways.org.uk
Pete Gurney
Clive Walker
Richard Curtis
Helen Whitehouse
Lichfield Branch
