Plans unveiled to restore 'vital' stretch of Chesterfield Canal

A planning application will be submitted to give Chesterfield Canal Trust the green light to transform a two-mile section of the historic waterway.

Trust volunteers say the bid is a vital part of their ambitious goal to open up the canal from Chesterfield to the River Trent in time for its 250th anniversary in 2027.

It is also hoped planning permission will allow the trust to gain greater leverage on the route of a proposed spur of high speed rail line HS2 to a maintenance depot near Staveley.

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Trust publicity officer Rod Auton says the application, which covers the whole length of the canal’s path within Chesterfield borough to just south of Renishaw, ‘means everything’ to the volunteers.

“It means that we can press on from Hollingwood because at the moment we are stuck,” he said at a consultation event on the proposals.

“Currently, this stretch of the canal is considered disused and HS2 could decide, if they wished, to pretend we don’t exist. Planning permission would change all that.”

The trust hopes to submit the application to Chesterfield Borough Council soon and has been holding consultation events with the public.

As a sign of how important the development is to the trust, it has appointed George Rogers as development manager – its first ever paid employee.

George says the two-mile stretch features a number of engineering challenges, including a lock, bridges and an aqueduct to take the canal over the River Doe Lea.

“The route is complex and interesting and features five different land owners,” he said. “This makes it difficult to accurately come up with a price tag for the work, but it is likely to be £6-7million.”

Engineers will also have to tackle several buried sewers and water pipes as well as subsidence in the Doe Lea valley.

About 170,000 cubic metres of clay will be needed to build up the puddlebank.

The trust has fought a long battle with HS2 bosses over the proposed route of the high speed line.

A branch line to serve a maintenance depot at Staveley is proposed to cross the route of the canal close to Hollingwood – at the start of the section covered in the planning application.

Trust volunteers say the restoration project will feature huge benefits to people in Chesterfield.

Rod said: “Chesterfield Borough Council’s local plan mentions the canal 14 or 15 times so they clearly consider it vital.

“The restored stretch already attracts 50,000 walkers and cyclists every year so is hugely beneficial for recreation in the area.

“It also opens up the whole Chesterfield Waterside development and would allow you to get boats up there.”