Maidenhead Waterways
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News Archive 2013

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Trial Pit in Moor Cut
A team of engineers and specialist plant converged on Moor Cut recently to dig a trial pit to expose the twin foul mains that lie under the bed there. The aim was to confirm how deep the pipes lie and to prove the accuracy of the electronice survey techniques available. A huge suction excavator and pumps were needed to dig a c1.5m deep hole while the groundwater fllooded in, but the pipes were eventually located where they have lain undisturbed for c30 years...!  
Budget Award

Following a public vote in this year's RBWM Participatory Budget we were delighted to be awarded £10,000 towards the Waterways project. Of the 769 residents who expressed a preference on how the discretionary Maidenhead budget should be allocated, 33% supported the Waterways.  We came second only to "Roads and pavements"..!! 

Funding SUCCESS

Our joint bid with RBWM for £1.6m of funding from the government's Growing Places scheme has been approved by the Thames Valley LEP, which manages the scheme in this area.  In conjunction with the Shanly Group's major plans for the Chapel Arches site, the funding is expected to enable a start on construction of the first stage of the waterway in Spring 2014 once the detailed design has been completed and our planning conditions cleared.   

Chapel Arches Plans APPROVED

The Maidenhead Development Control Panel has approved (8th August) the Shanly Group's major planning application for the Chapel Arche site through which the York Stream arm of the waterway runs.   After a set back with the ING Triangle scheme, this now promises to deliver the first highly visible part of the Area Action Plan, in conjunction with the first section of the waterway itself.

We will now work with the developer to fully align our plans for the channel works and landscaping with the aim of synchronising the build to minimise abortive costs and avoid multiple channel dispruption.    

Detailed Design  Contract Placed

Following a competitive tender Golder Associates, supported by Peter Brett Associates, have been appointed to complete the Detailed Design for the consented waterway plans.  They will utilise outputs from the latest survey work to complete the channel and structures design and clear all planning conditions, to ready the project for implementation once funding allows.The current work is being funded by RBMW via earmarked S106 developer contributions.     

Growing Places Funding Decision due shortly

A full bid for £1.6m of funding from the government's Growing Places scheme has been submitted to the Thames Valley LEP, which manages the scheme in this area.  Due diligence has already been completed and we are anticipating a final decion on award in August. If approved, thefunding will enable an early Stage 1 section of the waterway to commence build in 2014, acting as a catalyst for other major AAP developments.     

Chapel Arches Application Delayed

The Shanly Group's  planning application for the key Chapel Arches site has been modified and is out for re-consultation. To simplify matters with the Environment Agency it now assumes no change to the channels above or below Chapel Arches - the widening we seek is already agreed as part of our consent. The Shanly Group's application is now expected to be considered by the Developmemt Control Panel on 8th August. 

Surveys

MW has appointed Murphy SI and McNicholas Ltd to undertake Topographical and drainage surveys respectively of the Ring area. The Topo outputs will generate CAD drawings of the precise channel sections and bank designs at every point around the Ring. The Drainage surveys will map the pipe runs for the surface water outfalls that discharge into the channel, allowing these to be modelled and the necessary changes designed before the water level can be raised. The work is being funded by RBWM from S106 developer contributions earmarked for the project.

Chapel Arches

The Shanly Group's planning application for the Chapel Arches area is now likely to come before committee in  late June 2013. It seeks to complement the waterway plans, making the most of the enlarged waterside area for a range of mixed use (residential and commercial) developments, on all four corners of this historic location. We expect the developments to be a 'game-changing' step forward for the entire Area Action Plan, whilst also helping to fund the waterway project.

Area Action Plan Developers Day

AAP Developer DayHome Secretary and local MP Theresa May has fronted a major event for developers, property owners and potential AAP investors at Adobe’s new Maidenhead HQ.

Over 100 invited guests from national and local firms attended and the key role of the waterway project in the Maidenhead Area Action Plan was highlighted and endorsed by many of the speakers. MW had a stand at the event and attracted lots of interest from attendees.

View promotional video

Growing Places Funding Bid

RBWM has submitted an outline application ( jointly developed with MW) to the government funded Growing Places Fund for £1.6m. The Fund is designed to facilitate wider commercial development by enabling key infrastructure improvements. The application has been well received and we have been invited to submit a full bid later in the year. If successful, the funding would enable the first part of the consented waterway Ring to be implemented in 2014, most likely in conjunction with the Shanly Group’s Chapel Arches plans, if the latter is itself consented (a decision is due in June).

Surveys Underway

Following a competitive tender process, managed for us by Golder Associates, specialist survey firm Murphy Surveys Ltd has completed a full topographical survey of the existing waterway channels. The outputs will detail the precise channel sections and bank profiles at every point of the 2.2Km long Ring, and inform the detailed design stage that follows. A contract has also been placed with McNicholas who are conducting an internal survey of the pipe runs for each of the surface water outfalls affected by our permanent raising of water levels.

A range of updated ecological surveys and enabling contracts are planned over the coming months, including for Bats, Badgers, Knotweed, Trees, Sewer modelling and the main Detailed Design contract. These are essential to clear our planning conditions and to ready the project for the possibility of a first stage implementation commencing in 2014. RBWM is again to fund this work from developer contributions held for the purpose.

PR Update

PR Update – A new Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn presence has been established and is being jointly managed by our PR group and local PR company Nobull Communications. If you are a social media user, please join the groups, become a follower and spread the word at…

 http://www.facebook.com/maidenheadwaterways      and       https://twitter.com/MheadWaterways.

A new Logo designed for us by David Boxell has now been selected and agreed by the Trustees. We are now launching the new logo as part of a wider PR initiative including this new style web site, courtesy of Nicky Luff.

Fishy Matters

The need for a fish survey at key points of York Stream, under discussion with Kings College London, has now been superseded as the Environment Agency has provided us with sufficient data of its own to support the design of the fish pass planned for Green Lane.

Cash Donation

We were delighted to be awarded £250 by Quintiles Commercial UK Ltd under this year’s QCares programme of grants for local community groups and charities. Our thanks go to member Adrienne O'Donohue who nominated MW for the award.