IWA is concerned that boaters have been trapped since September 2023, unable to pass through Glasson Dock because of a failure of the tidal gate that connects the Dock to the Sea, and a stand-off between the Port of Lancaster Commission which owns the gate, and the Environment Agency. The funding plight of navigation authorities in the area has been aggravated by the failure of a gate at the tidal end of the Ribble Link and a breach at Hollowforth Aqueduct, both of which are major works that will take months to fix at great expense. And boaters are, literally, stuck in the middle.
At Glasson Dock, the 38 year-old gate is currently stuck, and although it’s owned by the port, in 2001 the Environment Agency added an extension to the gate to make it a flood defence. The port is not responsible for flood defences for the area. No modifications were made to the supporting structures. Since then, the port maintained and operated the gate with minimal contribution from the Environment Agency. In recent years, the port has spent a fifth of its annual turnover maintaining the gate. Over three years ago the port informed the Environment Agency that the gate was beyond its lifespan and needed replacing and that the port could not afford to do this. The Agency confirmed that replacement funds were in its capital scheme budget.
Update 9th August 2024 – The Environment Agency has advised that it has removed the gate for repairs – see its press statement.
[The photo above shows Glasson Dock, with tide out but the sea gate still in place – taken in July 2024 – by David Faulkner.]
In September 2023, because of flood defence concerns, the Environment Agency used its legal powers to take control of the gate to do some work on it. When they took it over, the gate could be lowered fully and it was lying safely flat in the gate pit, so there was vessel access to the inner dock and hence to the marina. When the Environment Agency handed the gate back to the port in early 2024, the gate was not able to open and since then has been stuck in the upright position, blocking the entrance to the port, and thus to the neighbouring marina in Glasson Basin and access to the Glasson Branch of the Lancaster Canal. The Basin is managed by Canal & River Trust and the marina by Aquavista. The stuck gate is preventing vessels getting in or out of the dock and thus impacting the businesses of all parties. Glasson Dock remains a commercial dock, as well as its use by recreational vessels. Some boat owners say they have had to spend thousands of pounds getting their boats craned out.
[The photo, left, shows boats in Glasson Basin – by Mike Valiant]
The port is capable of operating without the gate, allowing the dock (but not the basin) to dry out at low tide. However, the Environment Agency needs the gate as part of its flood defences for the area. The Port Authority had been relying on the Environment Agency to fund the gate replacement, which the Port Authority says it promised it would. The Port Authority also says that its work boats are trapped, and it can only fulfil its Port duties by hiring third party contractors, which is unsustainable and the port is therefore facing a fight for survival. In June 2024 the four affected organisations (Port of Lancaster Commission, Environment Agency, Aquavista and Canal & River Trust) issued a joint statement saying that the dock gate needed to be removed for inspection and repair, and that Lancaster Port Commission were leading on these removal works, which would be part funded by the Environment Agency. Once removed, navigation would be restored. The gate is to be placed on the dock side to undergo further inspection, and this will ultimately inform the extent of repairs that are required. The inspection will be led by the Environment Agency.
Further inspection and possible repairs are also required to the dock basin where the gate attaches. This can only be carried out in a dry working area, which requires a cofferdam to be constructed. The cofferdam will also act to restore some level of protection against flooding, but it will prevent navigation whilst in place.
[The photo, right, shows a coaster in Glasson Dock – by Judy Clegg]
With a cofferdam taking time to design, fabricate and install, there would be a significant interval between removing the gate and erecting the cofferdam. The parties are therefore considering what temporary flood defences can be put in place to maintain better flood protection during this period, with the Canal & River Trust working closely with the Environment Agency, as temporary flood defences may be required in the vicinity of the canal lock gate.
Contractors were expected to be on site by the end of July, with the gate to be removed in the following weeks. The cofferdam is expected be in place by autumn 2025 and removed before spring 2026.
Meanwhile (as of early August 2024), the Ribble Link is also closed to boaters, completely isolating the canal following an issue with the Sea Lock gate there. Here too, the gate needs to be lifted out so that it can be sent away for repairs – a tricky operation as the tide submerges the gate and lock twice a day.
To add further to the woes on the Lancaster Canal, at its southern end, the towpath and navigation has been closed between Bridge 36, Moons Bridge and Bridge 39, Hepgreave Bridge on the canal due to breach on the embankment next to Hollowforth Aqueduct (Bridge 38) on 21st July. The aqueduct was built c1796/7, and is just one of the 22 aqueducts on the waterway. Canal & River Trust quickly secured dams either side of the affected area and completed a fish rescue.
[The photo shows boats moored in Glasson Basin. The Basin is separated from the dock by a set of gates that are Canal & River Trust’s responsibility. Photo by David Faulkner]
Canal & River Trust say that the damage is extensive and affects both the embankment and a section of the aqueduct’s structure, and have added that “the repairs required are substantial and will need significant funding. The works will have a material effect on the Trust’s already limited resources.”
The Trust adds that “Nevertheless, along with the repairs to the sea gate on the Ribble Link, completing the repairs to re-open the navigation for boaters and all others who enjoy the canal is a priority. The works will take several months to complete, and we understand that in the meantime, the loss of full use of the Lancaster Canal will impact many customers profoundly.”
On-site, the Trust’s engineers and contractors have installed pumps to ensure water supply to the south side of the breach area, and water levels are nearly back to a navigational level. In addition to over-pumping the breach site, the Trust is exploring other locations to bring water to the southern section of the Lancaster Canal to maintain a stable water level and protect the environment and other structures. The Trust will need to work with neighbouring landowners to secure suitable access for the repair works to commence on-site.
On the Ribble Link, at the end of July, Canal & River Trust carried out a trial to get boats back across the Link so they could return to their home navigations. However, because of the breach at Hollowforth Aqueduct, only one boat successfully made the journey to Preston Docks and then to Tarleton the following day.
The Trust needs to do some further work on the tide times before it can take the next boaters across, but the Trust says it is in contact with those who are able to navigate south of the breach. The Ribble Link will remain closed for new bookings this year while the Trust’s priority is to complete the significant repairs to both the sea tide lock and the breach.
[The photo shows Hollowforth Aqueduct (also known as Barton Brook Aqueduct) – by Michael Graham CC CC BY-SA 2.0]
