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Young drinkers force canal towpath closure


13/ 4/2007

A FLOATING towpath at Castleton, allowing people to walk along the canal where it passes under the M62, is to be removed because of vandalism.

The path was put in by British Waterways so walkers could avoid a quarter-mile diversion along Manchester Road to get round the M62.

Its removal has been criticised by Brian Holden, secretary of the Rochdale Canal Society. Mr Holden, who worked for 33 years to get funding for the restoration of the Rochdale Canal, said: "It should be available for people to use it. British Waterways shouldn't be allowed to put it out of service, as it was paid for with public money."

The floating towpath was partly funded by a lottery grant as part of the £23M scheme to re-open the waterway - known as the Everest of canals because of the height it has to reach to cross the Pennines.

The path is removed when wider boats need to pass by.

But it is to be removed - for a while at least - by British Waterways, fed up with youths making it a base for smoking and drinking parties.

Residents also complained about vandalism.

Now the towpath has been moved to a berth at the side of the canal near Slattocks locks.

A spokesman for British Waterways said: "When the floating towpath was installed lots of kids were messing around on it while drinking. After complaints from residents it was put out of use but we are working with local police to tackle and resolve this anti-social behaviour."

But Mr Holden said: "Anti-social behaviour happens all over the place, it's not enough of a reason."


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Most recent 2 of 5 user comments

   maybe now someone should think whether all the money being thrown at this area to create Castleton's own "Wigan Pier" is actually worth it!! As someone who has done quite a lot of narrowboating i am well aware of the fact that the stretch of canal between Todmorden and Manchester is notorious with boaters as being one huge vandalism blackspot and it is reccomended by word of mouth and by canal guide books NOT to moor your boats on this stretch of water with people preffering to use the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to go over the hill to Saddleworth and to completely bypass this stretch of the Rochdale Canal for the safety of their boats.So before attracting "hoards" of boaters with full wallets to empty at Castleton's "Wigan Pier" the safety of their boats and the belongings inside needs to be garuanteed, or, just carry on the developement so the local teenagers can have somewhere "really nice" to vandalise and drink illegally, by the way, is it true that the new Disneyland is going to be in Basra? Think about it!!!
colin, castleton
18/04/2007 at 10:48
   remove it altogether the money to keep it in a fit state could be used elsewere if i had my way any vandalised ammenity public or otherwise would be removed then when there are no open public spaces left people would take notice
eddie, halifax
15/04/2007 at 10:43
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