14 August 2008

New lock gates at Mann Island fitted as the multi million pound canal link project steams ahead

New oak lock gates are being installed at Mann Island lock within the Countryside and Neptune Development as part of the £20m creation of the innovative Liverpool Canal Link.

Weighing up to 4 tonnes in weight and almost 5 metres high the lock gates are carefully being craned into position within the lock chamber.

The massive gates were fabricated by local engineering company Twinbridge of Burscough and fitted with paddles and winding gear by British Waterways Stanley Ferry Workshop.

The new gates form the centrepiece of the Mann Island basin before boats descend into South Docks for their final step of their journey along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. For the first time in over a century canal boats will then be able to navigate the current 127 mile Leeds & Liverpool Canal straight into the heart of Liverpool.

Construction of the canal link is nearing the final stages as the Pier Head engineering works are almost complete with the Central Docks and Mann Island section progressing well.

Countryside Neptune LLP are delivering the final part of the Canal Link project as part of their mixed use development, which comprises  376 apartments together with leisure, retail and commercial space set within high quality public realm.

The new canal link will bring major economic benefit to Liverpool, echoing a time past when the city’s docks were a transhipment hub for inland waterways freight.

Funding for the £20m new waterway has been secured from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Merseyside Objective One programme (European Regional Development Fund), English Partnerships, Peel Holdings and British Waterways.

Richard Longton, Project Manager, British Waterways said: “The lock gates at Mann Island are particularly significant because they will effectively form the gateway into the South Docks when the Canal Link opens to boating traffic next spring.”

Ends

For further information, please contact :  Helen Hall, on 077177 60284, email: helen.hall@britishwaterways.co.uk.

About British Waterways
British Waterways, which now owns and operates Liverpool South Docks waterspace, is the public corporation that cares for the 2,200-mile network of canals and rivers in England, Scotland and Wales.  The organisation works in partnership with private companies, local authorities, voluntary groups and other government agencies to protect and enhance the waterways and benefit the communities through which they run.

Wider regeneration in Merseyside
The regeneration of the Pier Head and Mann Island is part of a wider development programme designed to create a visitor destination of international quality.
The transformation includes the new Museum of Liverpool and mixed-use development at Mann Island, the Liverpool Canal Link and associated environmental improvements, a replacement Mersey Ferry Terminal with new visitor attraction, the City of Liverpool Cruise Liner Terminal, and works to make more effective use of space in the Port of Liverpool Building.
In total these new developments will deliver £260m of new investment, attract 1.2 million visitors per annum and create 913 additional jobs.