Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust
Encyclopedia
Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust is a waterways organisation formed in 1995 to promote a new canal
route, the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway.
It is a registered charity
in Britain
, and in 2008 had a gross income of £201,287.
The Trust was established in 1995 to promote the development of a broad canal which will link the Grand Union Canal
in Milton Keynes
to the River Great Ouse
in Bedford
through a series of waterways parks. The planned route of the new canal runs from the Grand Union Canal at Campbell Park in Milton Keynes (close to Gulliver's Land), crosses the M1 motorway
between Junction 13 and 14, runs near to Brogborough Hill, through Marston Vale
and connects with the River Great Ouse at Kempston
.
In 2003 British Waterways
announced its long-term aim to build the connection from the Grand Union at Milton Keynes
to the River Great Ouse
at Bedford in conjunction with a number of partner organisations.
The Trust has carried out design work on the project, funded through a £250,000 Lottery grant. The canal project suffered an apparent setback in 2004 when Milton Keynes Council did not include the route in the Supplementary Planning Guidance for the Eastern Expansion Area of Milton Keynes. However, this decision was recalled as a result of a public petition, and reversed at the subsequent meeting. The route within Milton Keynes is now protected by the SPG, and this episode serves to show public as well as political support for the scheme.
The first new structure specifically constructed for the waterway was completed in September 2009 – a 30 metres (32.8 yd) concrete culvert incorporated into the A421 road
as the result of £250,000 provided through Government Growth Area Funds. The road opened on 01 December 2010, although the underpass is not due to open for public access until sometime into 2011.
One of the more speculative plans by the Trust is the "Brogborough Whirl" a proposed boat lift
to take the waterway 30 metres up and down the eastern side of Brogborough Hill.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
route, the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway.
It is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and in 2008 had a gross income of £201,287.
The Trust was established in 1995 to promote the development of a broad canal which will link the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
to the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
through a series of waterways parks. The planned route of the new canal runs from the Grand Union Canal at Campbell Park in Milton Keynes (close to Gulliver's Land), crosses the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
between Junction 13 and 14, runs near to Brogborough Hill, through Marston Vale
Marston Vale
Marston Vale is an area of Bedfordshire. It lies to the south west of Bedford and Kempston, down towards the M1 motorway. Historically it was one of the main brickmaking districts in England, home of the London Brick Company, now a division of Hanson plc...
and connects with the River Great Ouse at Kempston
Kempston
Kempston is a town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. Once known as the largest village in England, Kempston is now a town with its own town council. It has a population of about 20,000, and together with Bedford, it forms an urban area with around 100,000 inhabitants, which is the...
.
In 2003 British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
announced its long-term aim to build the connection from the Grand Union at Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
to the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
at Bedford in conjunction with a number of partner organisations.
The Trust has carried out design work on the project, funded through a £250,000 Lottery grant. The canal project suffered an apparent setback in 2004 when Milton Keynes Council did not include the route in the Supplementary Planning Guidance for the Eastern Expansion Area of Milton Keynes. However, this decision was recalled as a result of a public petition, and reversed at the subsequent meeting. The route within Milton Keynes is now protected by the SPG, and this episode serves to show public as well as political support for the scheme.
The first new structure specifically constructed for the waterway was completed in September 2009 – a 30 metres (32.8 yd) concrete culvert incorporated into the A421 road
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
as the result of £250,000 provided through Government Growth Area Funds. The road opened on 01 December 2010, although the underpass is not due to open for public access until sometime into 2011.
One of the more speculative plans by the Trust is the "Brogborough Whirl" a proposed boat lift
Boat lift
A boat lift, ship lift, or lift lock is a machine for transporting boats between water at two different elevations, and is an alternative to the canal lock and the canal inclined plane....
to take the waterway 30 metres up and down the eastern side of Brogborough Hill.
See also
- List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom
- WaterscapeWaterscapeWaterscape was set up in the summer of 2003 and is British Waterways leisure website, supported by the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority as an official information and leisure resource for inland waterways within the UK....
External links
- Youtube video by B&MKWT
- The Guardian: "First British canal for 100 years announced"
- Highways Agency response to a query about widening the Berry Farm Underpass to allow for the canal (made under the 'Freedom of Information Act')