Update on the Caldon Canal cycle path.

This evening I went to Stoke Boat Club to contribute to the consultation about the conversion of the Caldon Canal towpath into a cycle path. I have written about this earlier, on 04/01/14 and 17/01/14.There were: maps of the canal showing the route and the sections which are of value to nature; a few photos of similar projects; diagrams of how the canal edges will be reinforced; and diagrams of the surface to be used.

I have to say I was reassured by what I saw.  All the best bits of reed swamp are marked on the map and will be protected from damage. The project team and the ecological consultancy are to revisit the site before the work starts and have assured me that they will minimise any harm to the canalside vegetation. Where the towpath edge needs repair, the most ecologically sensitive sections will be reinforced with coir rolls pegged in with hazel and backfilled with soil and appropriate plantings. The new towpath surface will not look out of place in its rural setting (it is of a less urban appearance than the surface on the Stoke on Trent length of the canal).

Reed Swamp fringe (mostly Reed Sweet Grass and Meadowsweet) vegetation along the Caldon Canal July 2013