WATERLINKS  

'Restoration of the Neath, Tennant and Swansea Canals Feasibility Study (Final Report)'  

W.S. Atkins Consultants, May 2002.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Restoration of all three canals will create a 32 mile cruising waterway servicing a national tourism market, while restoration of the Neath and Tennant Canals alone would create a twenty mile waterway serving a more restricted weekend cruising market. The economic benefits to the local area from the larger scheme are commensurate with the increased costs of this scheme. On the basis that the larger scale of economic benefits is in itself desirable, we recommend that the full scheme for restoring the Neath and Tennant and Swansea Canals be pursued. The increased market attraction of all three canals will not only draw greater economic benefits, but will increase the profile of the area as a whole. Thus this should be the ultimate goal.

1.  This report has been prepared by Atkins in response to a commission from the Vale of Neath and Swansea Valley Integrated Waterway Partnership. The client has sought an appraisal of reopening the Neath Canal from Giants Grave to Glynneath, the Tennant Canal from its junction with the Neath Canal to the River Tawe in Swansea, and the Swansea Canal from Swansea to Ystalyfera. The scope of this study has been to determine whether the canal restoration is worth pursuing further. Although Atkins has made an appraisal of the practicality, feasibility, cost and viability of restoration, it should be noted that significant further research is required to pursue this restoration project beyond the scope of this report.

2.  The three canals together are listed in the latest IWAAC restoration report as being of national significance. It should be noted that this status is dependent on all three canals forming a single scheme.

3.  Following a brief history of the three canals, the current route and condition of each canal has been discussed and mapped. The canals are largely existent from Giants Grave to Glynneath, from Aberdulais to Port Tennant, and from Clydach to Godre'r Graig. The River Tawe itself is navigable inland from Swansea Marina, and thus the bare bones of a cruising network are readily available. Restoration of the network would require the removal of obstacles from the surviving canal lengths and the creation of new links where the old canals are lost.

4.  It is estimated that the capital cost of the full scheme would be almost £55 million but this would be reduced by £4.5 million if the length to Ystalyfera was put on hold for the short to medium term.

5.  The feasibility study has not generally covered the planning and traffic impacts of the scheme but there are a number of ecological issues that are fundamental to the feasibility of the proposals. An ecological appraisal of the proposed restoration has been undertaken for an area of land 200 metres either side of the canals. This involved a walkover of the site (where accessible) and consultations with both statutory and non-statutory organisations.

6.  The ecological appraisal has shown that there are likely to be numerous ecological impacts and constraints on the proposed works which could potentially limit the scope of the works that could be undertaken, particularly in the Crymlyn Bog cSAC. The table overleaf summarises the main constraints and outlines means of addressing them. However, it is possible that some of the ecological constraints could be appropriately mitigated against and, in many instances, would provide opportunities for significantly beneficial ecological enhancements. In principle, the ecological factors do not pose an insurmountable obstacle to the scheme and the scheme offers many ecological benefits.

7.  The report recommends that, should the proposals be taken forward, several further detailed ecological studies will need to be undertaken, including comprehensive surveys for mammals, fish, amphibians, contaminated materials/silts, birds and flora of the canals and adjacent habitats. In addition, it is recommended that consultation be continued with all statutory and non-statutory consultees, including recreational groups such as local angling clubs, who have an interest in the canals and associated watercourses.

8.  The potential economic benefits from the restoration scheme have been outlined. They relate to the potential for:

·        water-based recreation activities, such as canal hire and private boats, trip and restaurant boats, canoeing and angling;

·        land-based recreation activities, such as walking, cycling, horse riding, sightseeing, picnicking and birdwatching;

·        development opportunities associated with canal restoration, including the provision of facilities for use of the canal;

·        expenditure on construction and maintenance of the canal, in addition to the boats and other facilities associated with use of the canal.

9.  The economic benefits of the full restoration have been calculated at approximately £4.2million per annum in the local economy.

10.  It has been estimated that construction works would create approximately 600 FTE direct jobs, of which 480 could be expected to come from the local area. In terms of indirect employment generation, an estimated 1,500 FTE jobs could be created, of which approximately half could be expected to come from the local area. The economic benefits following restoration would support 93 FTE jobs with the full scheme and 33 FTE jobs with the partial scheme

11.  A cost benefit analysis has been performed on both the full and partial scheme. The results are given below:

Full Scheme

Capital Cost                     50,300,000

Annual Benefit                  4,180,000

Net Present Value         4,750,000

12.  A partial scheme, including only the Neath & Tennant Canals has also been tested and also gives a positive cost benefit result. However, it is felt to be intrinsically more desirable that the full restoration scheme is pursued.

13.  The following funding sources may be available for restoration of the canal

14.  The report concludes that the restoration of the three canals between Giants Grave, Glynneath and Ynysmeudwy should be pursued.

Nov 2007

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Last modified: Saturday, 03 November 2007