Ribble Link - Background

Background

The Savick Brook/Ribble Link is situated in an area subject to a high flood risk according to the Environment Agency. There is also a flood risk further upstream of the Savick Brook east of the A6 main road at Fulwood, Preston. This appear to be supported as the Ribble Link was closed in 2003/4 and 2006/7 for 'maintenance and repairs' after flooding.

Preston City Council has a specific policy on flooding which states "It is important that there must be no increase in rates of surface run-off to both the Savick Brook and Sharoe Brook catchments, because this could result in localised flooding further downstream. The Environment Agency has stressed the importance of ensuring that run-off from the industrial sites at Red Scar must not exceed levels to prevent the risk of flooding elsewhere" i.e. Savick Brook/Ribble Link indicative of the high flood risk to the Millennium Ribble Link.

The Millennium Ribble Link is also subject to a number of local planning conditions and identified in the adopted local plan as a 'wildlife corridor'.

The River Ribble has the third largest tides in England, with tides that run at 4 knots and a tidal range at the mouth of the River of eight metres during spring tides. Since River Ribble dredging ceased, the estuary is filling up with sand and is developing a meandering path, depending on the tides and river runoff. In addition, many tributaries flow into the main channel including the Savick Brook/Ribble Link, while the River Douglas, has a significant influence both on sediment transport and hydrodynamics of the estuary.

Both the River Ribble and Savick Brook/Ribble Link are subject to outfall from a number of sources, one being the nuclear facility at Springfield nearby. The University of Portsmouth established the Ribble estuary has often failed its Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) values for a number of metals and certain organic and organo-metallic compounds (e.g. TBT). Presently, monitoring is conducted monthly by the Environment Agency. A public version of 'Radiological Habits Survey 2006' supported by the Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency and Health and Executive is available which included 'recreational activities', i.e. The Millennium Ribble Link, in the vicinity of Springfield Fuels Limited, Westinghouse site near Preston Lancashire.

When originally planned, the Lancaster Canal would have crossed the River Lune and the River Ribble on aqueducts, and it was intended that there should be a link to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Chorley. The Lune aqueduct was built, but the Ribble one was not, as the construction was well over budget by the time the canal reached Preston. The canal link was eventually replaced by a tramway link, crossing the Ribble on a timber bridge. The bridge outlasted the tramway, and it was not until the 1960s that it was demolished and replaced by a new pedestrian bridge, made of concrete beams but designed to look like the old timber structure. The Lancaster Canal remained isolated from the rest of the English Canal network.

The idea of building a connecting link along the Savick Brook was first proposed in 1979 by John Whittaker of the Lancaster Canal Boat Club. The Ribble Link Trust was set up in 1984, in order to promote the idea, and a series of annual cruises were held, starting at Tarleton on the Leeds and Liverpool Rufford Branch, passing down the River Douglas, up the River Ribble and ending at Preston Dock. These cruises raised awareness of the proposed link, and also demonstrated that canal boats could navigate on this section of tidal water without difficulty.

The original route for the scheme utilised the Sharoe Brook and Haslam Park, but there were considerable difficulties with land ownership and permissions. These remained a permanent problem. In 2007, five years after opening, the leases had still not been completed. The junction with the Lancaster Canal required a flight of locks in a tight location, and it was originally intended to have one lock to the south of the Brook, which would then be crossed by an aqueduct leading to a 2-rise staircase. This configuration was replaced by a 3-rise staircase, with a turning basin to enable boats to negotiate the extremely sharp left hand turn at the bottom of the flight. Because of the tidal nature of the Savick Brook, it was decided at the early stages of planning that the link would be designed for one way operation.

There were constant delays and frustrations, while costs escalated. The project was further complicated as in 2000 "British Waterways are constrained by their statutory responsibilities from taking on additional liabilities or spending money on Waterways not within their current responsibilities. British Waterways must be able to satisfy the Department of Environment Transport and Regions that any involvement is within this principle. The Waterways Trust is a new organisation and currently doesn't have either the funds or track record to make absolute commitments". There was considerable concern that the project would not proceed and the Millennium Commission Funding would be lost. The original contractors were replaced under much angst and debate over fees.

The contract for the construction was awarded to the civil engineers Gleeson in November 2000, with Arup Water responsible for the detailed design. A partnership between British Waterways, Lancashire County Council, the Ribble Link Trust and The Waterways Trust were responsible for the management of the scheme. A separate company The Ribble Link Construction and Operation Limited was set up.