Putting Plans Into Practice...

There are some impressive plans for restoring the Derby Canal – including a remarkable boat lift – but the Canal Trust now believes it’s on the point of turning them into physical progress.

Given that it’s some years since we last reported on the Derby Canal restoration in detail, you might be forgiven for expressing disappointment when I say that we can’t report on the number of locks restored, or other signs of physical reopening.

But bear with us, because there has been a great deal of progress on the unglamorous but crucial behind-the-scenes ‘political’ side of restoration. And Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust’s Chris Madge is confident this will be translated into practical work on the ground within as short a timescale as the next 12 months or so.

We aren’t just talking about a single project, either. At least four lengths are looking likely to see significant physical progress, spread out along the route, all with different characteristics and different approaches to getting the waterway open.

But before we get into the interesting practical stuff, let’s return briefly to the dull-but-necessary political progress.

The Trust believes the most important step came in 2010, when the restoration of the entire 15km through-route, running through four local authority areas, was granted planning permission. As Chris puts it, it’s all about “political positioning” – getting recognition for the restoration, control over the use of the route corridor, and protection of the line for the future.

To see how that political recognition is turning into actual restoration, we’ll take a trip along the entire length – heading westwards from the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre into Derby city, then south to meet the Trent & Mersey at Swarkestone. It’s a trip you can make yourself on foot – we did, and it gives a good insight into the challenges faced, and the different ways that DSCT plans to deal with them.