5th December 2007

Green raises concern over the proposed canal route at Capel Mill (see photo) and the Brunel Viaduct 

Chris Harmer comments "Capel Mill and the Frome are dear to my heart from my childhood, and the scheme described really saddens me. Stroud Valleys Project have worked really hard in that area and at Frome Banks, and we are so lucky to have that area about two minutes walk from Waitrose! When they dumped the fill from the bypass we were assured it would be temporary and would be shifted later to make way for the canal. And the linear housing estate continues to grow...."

Here is his letter to the press: 

I have to say that I agree with many of the points put by your previous correspondents (SN&J Oct 31).

Whilst I am in favour of the canal restoration, I had not realised how much damage the current so-called “preferred” route would do to the course and banks of the Frome and the general landscape at Capel Mill. We are fortunate to have such a rich and beautiful area only a stone’s throw from the town centre, and in many ways this area has changed little since my childhood in the 1950s. The difference then was that we had a canal that was largely intact.

I feel that any “public consultation” exercise that came up with this result must have been inherently flawed, and we MUST call for a re-run of the exercise. For me, the only acceptable route is through the tipped rubbish area. Otherwise halt the restoration at Wallbridge so that the boaters will at least have access to the facilities of Stroud, and equally Stroud can benefit from the tourist income. This proposal, plus the linear housing estate that seems to be developing along the canal banks, is not at all what we envisaged at the start of this project.

Chris Harmer
Rockness Hill, Nailsworth.