Tag: towpath

Kennet & Avon Towpath Repairs

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The SPOKES Committee has been working hard over the last few years to highlight the deterioration of the Kennet and Avon Towpath throughout West Berkshire, much of which forms part of National Cycle Network Route 4.

Constructed in the late 1990s by Sustrans, NCN4 was originally built as a 2m wide crushed aggregate surface with grass verges either side. Unfortunately, the path has received very little maintenance since. In many places the grass has encroached narrowing the path considerably, while in others the top surface has worn away exposing larger stones beneath and making it uncomfortable to ride on. Also, the banks of the canal have been subject to erosion over the years, with boat mooting pegs tearing holes out of the bank in various places, and dogs widening the holes as they enter and leave the water, creating a hazard for unwary cyclists.

The Canal and River Trust (C&RT) is the charity with responsibility for the upkeep of the towpath. They are making use of developer contributions from the Newbury Racecourse development to fund improvements on the section of towpath between the A339 flyover at Victoria Park and Hambridge Road in Newbury. They will widen this 1.7km stretch of towpath to around 1.8m and will apply a tar spray and chip material to create a sealed, all-weather surface. They are also constructing 20m of sheet piling back-filled with canal dredgings and planting, and 8m of bank protection with timber stakes and coir rolls where the banks have been eroded.

However, a lack of funding means that C&RT are unable to carry out all of the outstanding maintenance tasks on their network. SPOKES has therefore sought to raise funds to tackle some of the worst affected locations, starting with the section between Colthrop and Brimpton Road. Here, the grass has encroached to the extent that the path is now less than a foot wide in places with a high lip on either side, which makes it almost impassable for cyclists.

Providing a 2m bound surface for this 1km section has been estimated to cost around £219,000 using C&RT’s term contractor. We had some early success, managing to secure up to £50k of match funding from Greenham Common Trust, plus some small grants from Thatcham Town Council and Englefield Charitable Trust. We submitted other bids to the Veolia Environmental Trust and British Cycling, but these were unsuccessful. However, West Berkshire Council has agreed to contribute £42,000 and SPOKES is putting in £10,000, which is the majority of our reserves. When matched against the Greenham Common Trust funds, we have close to half of our original total.

However, we believe that this will be sufficient to construct a crushed aggregate path to a width of 1.6m, which is actually C&RT’s preferred specification and would be similar to the original Sustrans construction. C&RT has indicated that they may be willing for us to use suppliers other than their term contractor to undertake the work. This means we would be able to go out to the market and take advantage of cheaper rates to stretch our money still further. We aim to go out to tender shortly and if all goes according to plan, we hope to start work later this year.

We hope once we have demonstrated the impacts of these improvements, that this will create some momentum to tackle the remaining stretches of NCN4 in West Berkshire, which Sustrans ranked amongst the top-10 priorities for the network across the South of England.

Newbury Towpath Consultation

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When they granted planning permission for the racecourse development, West Berkshire Council managed to secure developer contributions to help improve cycle links between the site and Newbury town centre. Enough people have now moved into the new flats to trigger payment of these contributions.

SPOKES has lobbied for the money to be spent on upgrading the section of towpath between Hambridge Road and Victoria Park. This section has deteriorated significantly in recent years and is now in an unacceptable condition. In some places the path has lost its top surface, exposing larger stones beneath. This makes it is uncomfortable to ride along on any bike without suspension. Other sections are plagued with puddles, making it unpleasant for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

We are delighted that the Council has listened to us and has allocated the funds to the Canal and River Trust to carry out the works, which will involve providing a new 1.8m wide surface over a 1,500m stretch of the towpath.

The River Kennet is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Trust quite rightly wants to achieve the best balance between protecting the river and its wildlife, and creating a path that will deliver the greatest benefit for the local community.

They are currently consulting on three options for the path construction:

  • Option 1 – Tarmac path construction with a tar and chip surface (surface dressing) along the full length of the resurfaced section of towpath.
  • Option 2 – Rolled gravel surface along the full length of the resurfaced section of towpath.
  • Option 3 – Tarmac path with surface dressing along the north side between Victoria Park and the footbridge to the rear of Tesco, and a rolled gravel path along the south side from the Tesco footbridge to Hambridge Road.

The tarmac path has the highest quality construction, with a true all-weather surface. It is also the most durable, typically lasting 25-30 years before major repairs / resurfacing is required. Although construction costs are slightly higher, on-going maintenance costs are significantly lower, resulting in a lower whole-life cost. However, it may be viewed as being more suitable for urban areas.

The rolled gravel surface gives a softer, more natural appearance that is more in keeping with a rural setting. However, it is softer and more liable to wear and therefore has a much shorter lifespan. It typically needs major repairs / resurfacing after 12 years. It is particularly prone to incursion from grass growing in from the sides, particularly on paths without timber edging. While it is usable in all weathers, it can be a bit muddy after long periods of rain.

SPOKES favours Option 1, since the whole section of route is well-used by both walkers and cyclist and the level of use will only increase as the racecourse development is built out. The existing rolled gravel path suffers from significant erosion where it meets bridge decks / ramps leading to hazardous level differences and requiring regular repair.

CRT suggests that cycle speeds are higher with a tarmac path construction, but in reality any difference in speeds is likely to be negligible and we do not feel that this is an issue.

Regardless of the type of construction, we will push for the path to be constructed with a slightly raised profile so it drains to the verges on either side rather than collecting water. We would also like to see the width increased to 2m or more where space allows.

If surface dressing is used on the tarmac path, then care needs to be taken to properly sweep the path afterwards to remove any loose chippings. We will ensure that the Council undertakes the appropriate inspections once construction is complete.

To find out more about the proposals, watch the video that the Canal and River Trust has produced and complete their on-line survey. The closing date for responses is 20 January 2019.

Sustrans South of England NCN Review

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The National Cycle Network is over 20 years old now, with over 16,500 miles of signed cycle routes across the UK. Over a period of two years from 2015-2016, Sustrans has been working with partners, stakeholders, staff and volunteers to conduct a comprehensive review of the network. SPOKES attended the launch event for the review of the South of England portion of the network.

As part of the review, Sustrans developed a Level of Service scoring system based on four route quality indicators:

  • Surface quality
  • Wayfinding and signage
  • Flow
  • Traffic-related safety

Each section of the NCN has been assessed and scored using these criteria, and have then been assigned to one of four classifications ranging from Very Poor to Very Good. Across the South of England, the network has been graded as follows:

  • Very good – 38 miles
  • Good – 2,294 miles
  • Poor – 207 miles
  • Very poor – 1,259 miles.

Just  over 40% of the issues on the NCN in the South of England are related to traffic safety concerns, with 22% due to surface quality, 20% signage and 17% flow issues.

Physical review and action plans have been developed for each of the Sustrans geographical regions. These define the state of the network and outline strategic priorities. 

A series of ‘Activation Projects’ has been identified for each area. These have been chosen to reflect a range of project types, geographical areas and deliverability. It is hoped that these projects will build momentum for the wider revitalisation of the network. The action plans are backed up with full network development plans that set out long-term, detailed plans for the entire network. 

We were delighted to hear that the Kennet and Avon Canal between Thatcham and Southcote Lock has been selected as one of the Activation Projects for the South of England. This section has been highlighted by Sustrans as being in urgent need of surfacing improvements.

SPOKES is seeking to prioritise the section between Colthrop and Cranwell’s swing bridge. We have costed the repairs for this element at around £250,000. We have set up a funding proposal on the Good Exchange in an effort to secure funding from the Greenham Common Trust and other grant-making bodies.

We hope to submit a further bid to secure funding from Veolia’s Landfill Trust scheme and we are also liaising with West Berkshire Council to see if there are opportunities to secure developer funding from sites along the canal.

The initial responses to our fund-raising efforts have been positive and we hope to be able to make an announcement soon.

National Cycle Network Review

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Sustrans is currently undertaking a review of the National Cycle Network and is inviting people to respond to a survey about its future.  Sustrans was the originator of the NCN, bidding initially for £42 million of Lottery Funding to deliver the initial 5,000 mile network. The goal was subsequently increased to 10,000 miles and today, it has grown to a network of over 14,000 miles.

The survey is seeking input on a vision for the NCN and the characteristics that the network should aspire to. It goes on to ask about how the NCN should be improved. The final section of the survey asks about how important it is for local communities and individuals to be involved in looking after the National Cycle Network and what role they should have.

Spokes has been concerned for some time about the state of NCN4 within West Berkshire.  Much of the route follows the Kennet and Avon canal towpath and the wash from passing narrow boats has gradually eroded the banks, while boats pulling on mooring pegs have torn chunks out of the bank. Also, the the crushed aggregate path has narrowed over much of its length as a result of grass incursion to the extent that what was once a 2m wide path is now less than 30cm wide in places.   As a result, the condition of the towpath has deteriorated to the extent that certain sections are no longer considered safe to use by cyclists.

Through the Cycle Forum, Spokes has engaged with Sustrans, the Canal and River Trust and West Berkshire Council to highlight the problems. Although Sustrans has made efforts to undertake minor, routine tasks such as vegetation clearance through its volunteer network, it does not have ultimate responsibility for maintenance of the network. Similarly, the Canal and River Trust does not have sufficient funds to carry out all the improvements that are needed to bring NCN4 up to an acceptable standard.

West Berkshire Council has secured developer contributions from the racecourse housing site to upgrade the section of towpath towards Newbury Town Centre. However, there are no developments from which contributions can be levied to address the worst affected sections, which are in rural locations towards Marsh Benham and east of Colthrop.

Spokes is currently exploring options to secure grant funding through the Veolia Environmental Fund for the section to he east of Colthrop. However, even if the bid is successful, it will be just a drop in the ocean.

The National Cycle Network requires millions of pounds to be spent to bring it up to standard, but, unless more people express their concerns, then this funding will not be forthcoming. So please do take part in the Sustrans survey and ask them to lobby central government for the necessary funds to restore the NCN to a high quality walking and cycling network.

 

 

West Berkshire Cycle Forum (January 2018)

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West Berkshire Council arranged a special meeting of the Cycle Forum to discuss the situation with the Kennet and Avon towpath.  We were delighted to be joined by Mark Evans from the Canal and River Trust and Peter Challis of Sustrans. We highlighted what a valued resource the towpath is and how well-used it is by cyclists, not just for leisure trips, but also to get to places, particularly within Newbury. However, the current condition of the towpath has deteriorated to such an extent in places that it is now hazardous for cyclists.

Mark Evans acknowledged the problems and admitted that the focus until now had largely been on maintaining the canal for boaters. He also recognised that wash from passing boats was causing erosion and that mooring pegs could cause splits in the bank, leading to localised issues. All parties recognised the scale of the problems facing the towpath, which are further complicated by environmental constraints, including the desire to maintain the historic feel of the canal and protect endangered wildlife that lives in the canal banks, such as water voles.

The good news is that the Trust is in the process of restructuring and will be placing a much greater emphasis on promotion of health and well-being in future. As a consequence, there will be a much greater focus on the towpath and its users.

There was some discussion about what standard we would like to achieve for the towpath, including widths and surfacing materials.  The original Sustrans construction was a crushed limestone surface, but it was recognised that this does not hold up well and needs regular maintenance. Alternatives are available, such as resin-bound surfacing, which can last up to 25 years, but this is much more expensive. What quickly became clear is that it will cost millions of pounds to achieve the ideal facility and that some degree of prioritisation will be required.

Key actions from the meeting were:

  • To complete the work on the local audit including the eastern section from Woolhampton to Calcot
  • Identify safety-critical points where there is a particular risk due to holes/bank erosion
  • Identify the top three priority sections where the path surface should be upgraded

Another meeting has been arranged for 20 February in order to maintain momentum.

The minutes for the January meeting of the Cycle Forum (and minutes of previous meetings) can be found on the About Us section of the Spokes website.