Canal blocked by landslip
The land slippage on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal near Foxton
A LANDSLIP on an embankment blocked a 60 metre section of the Grand Union Canal near Foxton.
It is believed the slippage was caused by heavy rain which saturated the ground making it unstable.
The Canal and River Trust, the new charity that looks after the canals in England and Wales, said its maintenance staff will be on site from Monday (January 7) to dredge a channel and allow the waterway to reopen to boats.
It has been closed since the slippage, which happened over the Christmas period.
Jeff Whyatt, senior manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “We are currently planning a temporary solution as we can’t remove all the dislodged material from the canal whilst the land above remains so wet. To do so could destabilise the embankment further and cause more slippage into the canal.
“By dredging the centre section and the towpath side of the canal we will be creating enough space for boaters to navigate this stretch, and at the same time working out the best permanent repair for the embankment.
“The towpath will remain open to walkers and cyclists and we hope to have this stretch of canal open to boats too within a week of the works starting. It is too early to predict how much the repairs are going to cost the charity to repair.”
The Trust is carrying out investigations to find out the exact cause of the slippage.
It said initial findings suggest the embankment above the canal may have become unstable as a result of the recent prolonged rain which saturated the ground causing a section opposite the towpath to slip downhill and into the canal.
The trust added: “As this stretch of canal is ecologically rich and within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, we will be working with Natural England to clear some reeds from the towpath side as well as removing any small trees that have moved with the slipped embankment. “
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Weather for Harborough
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: North west
