https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-66961649
Lift bridges on the Oxford canal are going to be upgraded !
It’s nice to be able to report something positive for a change, unfortunately we’re only talking about four bridges which is a bit like a proverbial drop in the ocean but hey, credit where credit is due eh?
CRT are of course blowing their own trumpet about the project…
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/lb650000-lift-for-iconic-oxford-canal-bridges
but I guess that’s to be expected as they’re splashing out £650,000 on the project.
However, work on Chisnell lift bridge (no.193) has been funded by “support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery“, which has donated over £16 million so far to “a range of important waterway and wellbeing projects”.
The project will see the bridges fitted with hydraulic winding gear in order to upgrade them and make them fit for the 21st century !
I wonder what they plan on doing (or have done) with the rest of the 16 million though, don’t you ?
they will have to do a helluva lot more than that to convince me that they are serious about preserving and maintaining the system after eleven years of almost nothing but blue signs and other such crap.
Four bridges on one canal are getting a makeover, and what about the remaining nearly 2000 miles, countless locks and countless more bridges ? Too little and sadly, very possibly too late mate.
So actually they’re just spending £650,000 of someome elses money but they claim THEY are the ones looking after our canals and yeh, what happened to the rest of the 16 million of lottery cash ?