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  1. #76
    Senior Member Howie's Avatar
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    The future is a slow boat to Bootle
    Jun 21 2006
    The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is one of our city's most neglected assets. Now there are plans to change that with boat trips for tourists and shoppers. David Charters reports
    Daily Post



    THOUSANDS of people come to Liverpool to take a short boat trip. That sentence immediately suggests the famous ferries across the Mersey between the Pier Head, Birkenhead and Seacombe.

    But imagine tourists sitting in rows and licking ice cream cornets on that other great stretch of water in the city, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

    Is that just a dream, some fanciful vision of a new Venice?

    "It need not be," says Ron Formby, the tireless community campaigner, as he watches swans glide along the canal, where once coloured barges chugged with cargoes of cotton and slate cut in North Wales going eastward, returning with coal and woollen goods.

    His idea is for a canal boat to carry shoppers the four miles from Vauxhall in the heart of old Liverpool to the Strand shopping centre, Bootle. It is a modest enough start, but his ambition stretches into the future.

    A £20m British Waterways project is already under way to extend the canal from the Stanley Dock to the Albert Dock with a cut across the Pier Head. It is hoped that it will be completed by 2008 when, as the whole world knows, Liverpool will be the European Capital of Culture.

    This could be the opportunity for the city to benefit from one of its most neglected assets, as the boats would pass by the old Scotland Road area. Italians, Poles, Germans, Irish people fleeing the famine, Jews, Russians and refugees from many other countries, came here.

    Some stayed. Others sailed away to make new lives for themselves in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

    It is appropriate that his scheme should have a Venetian feel. It was in Circus, Gerard, Lionel, Whale and Christian streets that Vauxhall's Little Italy was formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    "The tourist potential is there for everyone to see," says Ron. "People from all over the world have connections with this part of Liverpool. We could call the boat the Spirit of Vauxhall."

    And the Canal Boat Project has the backing of Louise Ellman, the MP for Liverpool Riverside. She has been working on it with Ron, the Vauxhall-based Liverpool Boat Company, British Waterways, Liverpool City Council, youth leaders and PC Les Harvey, the dedicated officer (community bobby) based at Stanley Road police station in Kirkdale, who is representing Merseyside Police.

    A team of young offenders, under the guidance of Tony Forshaw, the youth restorative justice officer at the community justice centre on Boundary Street, Kirkdale, is renovating a small fibreglass river cruiser, which seats about 12 people. But the ambition is to raise money through fares and grants to buy one of the large barges made by the Liverpool Boat Company.

    "We build about 350 canal boats a year," says Terry Woods, its finance manager. "They are steel boats used for leisure or for people to live on. They can be fully fitted ones or DIY ones for people to fit out themselves."

    Terry says that they could supply a 42 horsepower, 50ft boat for about £20,000 with the engine, gearbox and ballast, but the team would have to furnish the interior.

    Ron, from the Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council, hopes that they will eventually be able to buy a steel boat.

    But the Boat Company will be able to help with the cruiser. "The knowledge we have with any technical details will be on hand for Ron. We will help him in any way we can."

    "The youths are working with power tools and materials, so that we can restore the boat. Then we will hand it over to the community," says Les Harvey. "In this way, the young people are giving something back to the community."

    The work is being carried out on the boat at an undisclosed location near the canal to avoid any possibility of vandalism. "She needs a complete refit inside," Les adds.

    It is anticipated that the trip from Vauxhall to Bootle will take about 45 minutes.

    "I have spoken to people and they think that the idea of travelling to the shops in such a leisurely way, away from the hustle and bustle, is lovely," says Jack Brotherton, an 86-year-old retired carpenter, helping with the project, who has been working on ships since 1934. "There is a bank on the canal with a good open space for passengers to get off near the shopping centre," adds Jack, who built his own house in Crosby.

    He thinks that the service would be ideal for residents of the Eldonian Village on the site of the old Tate and Lyle sugar refinery which closed 25 years ago.

    With the group discussing the project is Steve Higham, economic and social development officer with British Waterways. "It will be popular, but it needs establishing," he says. "Half the problem with the canal in Liverpool is that people don't know it's there. But finance is not something we have really addressed yet."

    An application for the Canal Bird Life project, incorporating the boat scheme, has already been submitted to the Big Lottery Fund People's Millions competition, in which ITV viewers will choose 90 projects to receive £50,000 each.

    The idea is to have the canal boat service running by 2008. It has grown from the successful Bird Life Project, which is turning part of the canal into a wildlife sanctuary, and the Tourism in Vauxhall campaign, which draws the attention of visitors to attractions such as the Tobacco warehouse on the world's largest brick building on Great Howard Street.

    It is 14 storeys tall and has 27m bricks.

    Canal clean-up programmes are held on the canal on the final Wednesday of every month.

    Parish records are stored on computers in St Anthony's Parish Church, Scotland Road, which celebrated its bicentenary in 2004. This has become an attraction for overseas visitors whose families have Liverpool roots.

    "A canal barge could operate for sight-seeing and shopping excursions up to the Bootle Strand," says Ron, who edits the Scottie Press community paper.

    "Then, when the link is made to the Albert Dock, we will be able to go through the locks and into the Sandon and Collingwood docks.

    "It would be an interesting trip which would open up the canal for tourism. Obviously there would be people coming down in their own boats, but we would have scope for trips for schools, pensioners and local history groups.

    "With the Capital of Culture coming up, this would be an ideal way to promote the canal, highlighting the Vauxhall area. The more good things happen here, the greater the chance of us attracting investment."

    By coincidence, next year is the 800th anniversary of Liverpool being granted its Royal Charter by King John and Leeds being its granted its Charter by Maurice Paynel, the Lord of the Manor.

    To mark the occasion, the Inland Waterways Association has announced that the World Canals Conference is to be held on Liverpool on June 13, 14, and 15, 2007.

    "The annual conference brings together hundreds of canal enthusiasts, professionals and scholars from around the world," says an IWA spokesman.

    "Topics to be discussed include the protection of historic canals or features, revitalisation of canal systems, harbour sites, canal trails and amenities. The conference will immediately precede the Mersey River Festival (June 15 to 18).

    "That the conference should be held in Liverpool is particularly appropriate given the transfer of ownership and operation of Liverpool's historic South Docks from English Partnerships to British Waterways, the largest navigation authority in the UK."

    Louise Ellman has given the project her full support. "It is a really exciting idea. It is part of local regeneration," she says, "making the waterway available to more people as part of environmental improvements.

    "It is good that young people are working on it as part of their restorative programme because that is also to do with community service. I will do what I can to help with the finance. There is funding around for projects.

    "It is locating the money and focusing on something like this. Too often, they think only of the big schemes. This is a very imaginative scheme and practical as well."

    davidcharters@dailypost.co.uk

    Canal history

    * BACK in 1770, an Act of Parliament allowed digging on the canal to start simultaneously in Leeds and Liverpool.

    * By 1777, stretches of the canal had been opened between Liverpool and Wigan and from Leeds to Gargrave.

    * Money ran out, halting the project during the American War of Independence (1776-1783).

    * Work resumed in 1790 and the 127-mile canal was opened in 1816.

    * The canal is still navigable. It climbs 411ft through 92 locks. There are eight aqueducts. One embankment is two thirds of a mile long.

    Source: icLiverpool

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    Quote Originally Posted by Howie

    Canal history

    * BACK in 1770, an Act of Parliament allowed digging on the canal to start simultaneously in Leeds and Liverpool.

    * By 1777, stretches of the canal had been opened between Liverpool and Wigan and from Leeds to Gargrave.

    * Money ran out, halting the project during the American War of Independence (1776-1783).

    * Work resumed in 1790 and the 127-mile canal was opened in 1816.

    * The canal is still navigable. It climbs 411ft through 92 locks. There are eight aqueducts. One embankment is two thirds of a mile long.

    Source: icLiverpool
    Cheers Howie, enjoyed that
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  3. #78
    Senior Member Howie's Avatar
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    Further information about British Waterway's plan for the Liverpool Link can be found in an article in May's Waterways Magazine - click here for a PDF version.

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    Senior Member Howie's Avatar
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    Navy team plan to row the distance for hospice
    Jun 22 2006
    Liverpool Echo

    A TEAM of Royal Navy sailors is taking part in a charity event, to paddle the length of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in a canoe.

    They hope to raise £5,000 for Claire House Children's Hospice in Bebington, Wirral, which cares for children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses.

    The eight-strong-team will consist of six men in the canoe, one in a support vehicle and a Royal Marine running along side them.

    The expedition will start next Tuesday, June 27, and will finish in Liverpool on July 1, the first day of the All Aboard maritime festival, featuring the assault ship HMS Albion, which also supports Claire House.

    Source: icLiverpool

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    LIVERPOOL'S multi-million pound waterfront canal could be re-routed at the last minute, leading to West Waterloo dock being filled in.

    West Waterloo Dock is a dock, on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool it is situated in the northern end of the dock system, connected to Victoria Dock to the north and Princes Half Tide Dock to the south. It opened in 1834, the dock was named after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
    An extension to the Leeds-Liverpool has been planned for more than two years.

    But weeks before work was due to start, British Waterways wants to change the route.

    They say the flagship 2008 scheme would go ahead even if their request was rejected by the council.

    Residents fear filling in the dock would provide potential new building sites.

    Work is due to start this summer on the link between the Leeds-Liverpool canal and the Albert dock via the Pier Head.

    But if British Waterways plans are allowed, the route would be shifted several metres inland at Trafalgar dock, allowing more attractive landscaping.

    West Waterloo dock would then be filled in with rubble dug up from the Pier Head to create a flat area.

    Residents have reacted angrily to the proposal - while the ECHO understands council planners are also unhappy with the dock being filled.

    British Waterways has already shelved one re-design following council talks.

    A spokesman said: "We are just looking at a slightly different, improved route and it does not affect the entire scheme."

    Residents at the Waterloo Quay apartments, which overlook West Waterloo dock, pledged to fight the plans.

    Tony O'Leary, chairman of the residents association, said: "These docks are part of Liverpool's heritage and they need to be preserved.

    "When we bought these apartments, one of the attractions was the environment, overlooking water.

    "We supported British Waterways' initial application wholeheartedly because there was never any indication thatWest Waterloo dock would be filled in.

    "Filling in the dock would create a valuable piece of land. But it might take 20 years for that land to settle, and for all that time it would be a derelict mess in an historic dock area."

    Kirkdale councillor Malcolm Kennedy said: "We have had no indication of what might eventually be built on the infilled dock, and I find that dishonest.

    "The canal project will be wonderful for the whole city and I am also concerned that making changes now could delay it unnecessarily."

    * Click here to see Nick Coligan discuss the controversial plans in a video report

    nick.coligan@liverpool.com
    Last edited by Kev; 06-29-2006 at 02:24 PM.
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    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev
    LIVERPOOL'S multi-million pound waterfront canal could be re-routed at the last minute, leading to West Waterloo dock being filled in.
    This should be opposed at all costs

    Enough is enough. Far too many docks and waterways are being filled-in destroying our heritage and history. City on the water? How? With no water?

    All in-filled docks should be excavated and have apartments, retail and leisure buildings on the quays. There should be navigation along the docks and waterways for substantial vessels, not just tiddly canal narrow boats, from Harrington Dock in the south to Seaforth in the north. This idea is ludicrous. The anti-dock/waterway wedge gets rammed in yet again.

    Other cities crave for water areas to build around. Stupid Liverpool fills them in.

    Liverpool should stop thinking like an inland city content with narrow boats, recognise what it has, value it, develop it and keep it for ever.



    The above. In front is East Waterloo Dock. To the left is West Waterloo. From West Waterloo to the basin just before the Victoria Clock Tower, the basins of Victoria and Trafalgar Docks ran - is was all one stretch of water. Why this was filled in I don't know, as the land is not sound enough to support anything. The Victoria and Trafalagar Docks ran from east to west from the Dock Road behind East Waterloo Dock to the basins, where the blue buildings/portacabins/containers are.

    Beyond the Victoria and Trafalagar Docks was Clarence Dock which ran north/south, which was filled in, in 1927 to build a power station on. It would obtain its oil from ships at Trafalgar Dock. I did a tour as a kid - a scuffy horrible place. Clarence Dock graving docks still exist, and used, and are just near the large red brick tobacco warehouse - runing east to west. They are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, so cannot be filled in.
    Last edited by Waterways; 06-29-2006 at 09:28 PM.

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    Senior Member Paul D's Avatar
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    John I agree with you on this,I think the council are not happy with the idea either so I can't see it happening personally.Changing the plans so late in the day will surely hold up this project further.

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    Yes. This is absurd. There is no need to fill the docks north of the Pier Head. There is amble space forthe canal and 'landscaping'.
    Who was the greatest of them all?
    Little, Curly, Alan Ball.
    R.I.P. Bally.

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    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev
    West Waterloo Dock is a dock, on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool it is situated in the northern end of the dock system, connected to Victoria Dock to the north and Princes Half Tide Dock to the south. It opened in 1834, the dock was named after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
    Look at Google Earth. Victoria Dock has already been filled in, along with Trafalgar Dock and Clarence Dock.



    All these Docks should be excavated and developed around the quays giving us the promised water based city - the city on water.

    How can we have a city on water when there will be no water.

    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THIS OVERT VIOLATION OF OUR HERITAGE & HISTORY HAS TO STOP.


    .
    Last edited by Waterways; 06-29-2006 at 05:56 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Paul D
    John I agree with you on this,I think the council are not happy with the idea either so I can't see it happening personally.Changing the plans so late in the day will surely hold up this project further.
    The whole length of West Waterloo and the parts of Trafalgar and Victoria Docks that run parallel with the river wall should be excavated at least - preferably all the original docks. This means only partial excavating of Trafalgar and Victoria Docks.

    Look at the link below. Note Trafalgar Dock which is now filled in (with the Royal Iris moored). Have these people no shame? They have no sense of history that is clear. Does British Waterways care about Liverpool history and heritage? Appears not, as only Liverpudlians do. They are only after a quick buck, or saving money, at our expense.

    Liverpool Docks were compared to the building of pyramids - and rightly so. Imagine what would happen if the bulldozers moved in at pyramids.

    http://www.waterways.org.uk/wcc/Liverpool%20Link.pdf
    Last edited by Waterways; 06-29-2006 at 08:52 PM.

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    Here you go John.
    Disgraceful.
    Who was the greatest of them all?
    Little, Curly, Alan Ball.
    R.I.P. Bally.

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    Yet more nonsense. It is time that this scheme was put on hold, to be properly evaluated. It's obvious they are making it up as they go along, and I have no confidence at all in them. What will their next trick be?

    The economics are rubbish, there is no evidence of the regeneration benefits they promise, which in themselves are very poor. It cannot possibly meet normal value for money criteria for schemes receiving European funds.

    The practicalities make a nonsense of it. It's going to take hours to get from Princes' to Albert Docks, so its not as though will support anything useful like a tourist boat. It won't. Tourists won't wait hours in locks.

    It threatened to ruin the Pier Head, and now that damage is mitigated with a plan for a fair bit of it to be covered. But that means the odd holiday maker who sails past on a canal barge won't see much anyway. Even that element wasn't thought through, with a crazy plan for temporary coverings that was ludicrously expensive and obviously just made up at the last moment to see them through a difficult decision.

    I bet if this scheme was reappraised, independently, and without the sleazy mediocre culture of Liverpool regeneration funding surrounding it, it would just be turned down flat. It's a bad idea that has gone far too far already. It just doesn't offer anything of use or benefit. The canal should end at Princes Dock, which could do with something in it, so canal boats would be nice there.

    I am sure in 30 years there will be a public fund to help pay for the costs of filling it in, a campaign to turn the Pier Head back into the greatest English public space outside Trafalgar Square.
    Last edited by Liverpolitan; 06-30-2006 at 12:05 AM.

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    Well said Pol. We are not the Scotch Piper, or Tarleton, and we need more then Derek and Maud trundling past in their floating caravan to sustain hundreds of acres of derelict dockland.
    Who was the greatest of them all?
    Little, Curly, Alan Ball.
    R.I.P. Bally.

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    And Squirrel (aka awayo) claims there are hygeine issues, with a potentially deadly problem with faecal contamination. The Daily Post don't dwell on such unpleasant matters. BWB sort of admit its a problem, because it's expressly and specifically amongst the things they prohibit, and there is a big fine for it - and why would you ban something and fine people if they didn't actually do it? Nothing was ever banned that no-one ever did.

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    Poor Squiggle has spent enough time in the YMCA to lecture us 'decent' folk about hygiene issues. Daniella Westbrook was apparently fined for doleing out nasal sex for tenners...
    Who was the greatest of them all?
    Little, Curly, Alan Ball.
    R.I.P. Bally.

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