Page 6 - link magazine
P. 6
6 The Link Magazine • February 2004
Making the canal a central feature of the Front Garden
Tony Davy, Chairman of the North Wilts Canal Trust, describes the excitement of bringing waterways back to the town
The restoration of canals in other try areas. Where road link between Wootton Bassett
parts of the country have resulted the route has and Swindon. The potential of a
in enormous economic gains in been obstructed new transport route is immense:
terms of redevelopment and in- by development water-bus service, cycle way, walk-
creased tourism.Theprospectsfor and new ones ers.
Swindon are excellent, are required, as There is no definite timescale
The Canal Trust has formed a in Swindon, yet, but a reasonable estimate
partnership with Swindon Coun- M e 1 k s h a m, would be five years to do the Front
cil and other local authorities Cricklade and Garden, 7 to 10 years before the
through which the canal runs to Abingdon, we North Wilts link is complete, 15 to
protect the line of the waterway in are working to 20 years to complete the whole
all the district plans. get replacement Wilts & Berks Canal restoration.
The current position is that, gen- lines protected However, these dates are criti-
erally, the historic line is protected in the local cally dependent on there being no
against development where it has plans. An artist's impression of the canal basin planned great change in the national sys-
not been built on, mostly in coun- These discus- for the Front Garden tem for funding of waterways res-
sions and agreements should soon toration.
be completed. Once there is a con- There is no doubt the regenera-
tinuous protected route the possi- tion of the canals offers a fantastic
bility of getting major funding sup- future for Swindon.
port increases dramatically. Below, the Mayor and Mayoress of Swin-
Permission to develop the South- don Derek and Pat Benfield enjoyed a
ern Development Area or Front trip along the restored section of the
Garden will see the developer canal at Kingshill at the official opening
building a replacement canal to in September 2003
link with the re-
cently restored
length at Kingshill,
near Rushey Platt.
Current plans
are for the Front
Garden to feature L: -
the new junction
for the North Wilts
Canal (to Cricklade
and the Cotswold
Canals), with the
main line of the
Wilts & Berks from
Semington, near
Melksham, to
D^^eY & So Abingdon on the
o14F Thames.
The new main
£29 line section will run
from near M4 Junc-
tion 16 to a point
near the Wrough ton Park and Ride.
It will then continue from the Front Hope for Front
Garden, parallel to the motorway Garden objectors
to the A419, then swing north-east,
to rejoin the historic route near Swindon's planning committee
Acorn Bridge on the A420. discussed the development of
The new North Wilts Canal will 4,500 homes in the Front Gar-
branch north in the Front Garden den area, between Old Town
and run to a bridge under the rail- and the M4, on 24 January
tl Pre-empting the decision coun-
way near Mannington rounda-
bout. Meanwhile, British Water- cil leader coun Mike Bawden has
ways and the Waterways Trust are asked the Deputy Prime Minis-
working on the Cotswold Canals ter to call the plan in so that an
and intend to build south towards independent inspector can deter-
the Swindon section of the North mine whether it should go ahead.
Wilts. He argues that councillors are
This link will pass through the faced by a conflict of interest as
culvert at Moredon which opened the council stands to gain a sig-
Tel: 01793 7"1701 in 2002 and then follow the River nificant income from land sales.
Ray valley between the town and The Front Garden Action.
sz Group have been fighting the
Blunsdoll I louse Hole) West Swindon to the Front Gar- decision to develop the area for
den. the last four years, arguing the
The most urgent need is for a area will suffer from flooding,
ccww.blunsdonhouse.co.uk canal under the M4. This would pollution and traffic congestion.
allow a water and pedestrian off-
