As you know, CRT and ourselves have been preparing submission of our Stage 2 Lottery funding bid. This entails much detailed investigation of all aspects of the project including all engineering, environmental and community engagement aspects.
Whilst most of these have been completed satisfactorily, an infilled section of the canal at Little Tring thought to contain innocuous domestic waste has been found to contain noxious material which would need to be removed to a specially licensed area at great expense including a hefty landfill tax rather than be disposed of locally.
In the light of this costs have become well above the level of funding originally sought.
Discussions with CRT have identified possible ways forward but it would not be possible to thoroughly develop and cost these and still meet the current bid submission timetable.
After discussion with HLF we have agreed to withdraw the present bid and re-present once satisfactory strategies have been fully developed and costed to overcome the problem.
Much of the work done to date will still be relevant and not need to be repeated and a stronger end product is likely to emerge in the longer run.
I would like to thank you all for your support to date and trust you will continue to help us complete the job.
The agreed statement by CRT and ourselves is as follows:
“The Canal & River Trust and the Wendover Arm Trust are postponing their Heritage Lottery Fund bid towards the cost of restoring a further 2..7km of the Wendover Arm to navigation.
In working up their bid, the partners identified substantial costs beyond the available funding, largely due to the need to remove contaminated material in the canal – previously assumed to be domestic rubbish – to a landfill site.
Whilst the two organisations have been working exceptionally hard to overcome these challenges, and at the same time reduce costs, it has become apparent that these cannot be fully resolved before the Lottery deadline of March 2018.
Consequently, the partners have decided to withdraw the existing bid and concentrate on solving these challenges so that a fresh submission for funding could be submitted in due course.”
Chris Sargeant – December 3rd 2017