November 27th 2005

Sunday 9.30 a.m ....  I set off to walk from the Cwmbran Tunnel (Cadw Grade II listed) to Ty-Coch (Hollybush Way). The towpath is also a cycle-way ( Route 46 ) 

.. Weather conditions:- Overcast, dry with a cold breeze

* Highlight of this month's walk ..A beautiful kingfisher, darting to and fro, on the canal section in front of Cwmbran Retail Park ..

.. Cwmbran Tunnel to Five Locks Road ..

My observations :-

• 4 Ducks.

• 4 Moorhen.

• A couple of roosting Magpies.

• 2 Litterbins.

• Weed free.

• Overall very good.

• One recently installed bin has been vandalised * The litterbin, complete with concrete base ripped out and dumped in the canal.

.. Five Locks Moorings ..

The Moorings were created to allow visiting `pleasure boats` to tie up safely and hopefully take pleasure from their visit to the farthest navigable point (South) on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.

My observations :-

• Shrubs pruned, both litterbins in place and being used.

• Some litter evident behind fence.

• 6 Ducks.

• Litter and weed throughout area.

• Overall poor.

   

.. Five Locks Road to Mount Pleasant Road ..

My observations :-

• Broken branch in front of canal culvert.( As recorded in previous months) - Now removed.

• 3 Litter Bins (all being used).2 of which overflowing with rubbish and 1 litterbin vandalised - outer casing discarded in canal - Pontnewydd.

• Cans, bottles and litter throughout section.

• Shopping Trolley in Lock.

• Bicycle dumped in canal.

• Patches of pondweed throughout section.

• Damaged section of canal wall due to tree root infiltration. (See Photo).

• 6 Ducks.

• 3 Moorhens.

• Wheely bin dumped in canal.

 .. Mount Pleasant Road to Maendy Way ..

My observations :-

• 1 Litter bin ( Vandalised, Burnt out ), as noted audit of May 29th. Update: Not replaced.

• 1 Litter bin ( Top of Litter bin damaged by fire).

• Another Litterbin, just off the footpath, outer casing missing (security fixture not adequate as noted in `Summing up`).

• 2 Shopping Trolleys discarded in canal .

• Concentration of litter at `debris trap`- end of section.

• 4 Moorhens.

 .. Maendy Way to Greenforge Way ..

My observations :-

• No Litter Bins.

• Weed free.

• 2 Ducks.

• 3 Moorhens.

• 1 Carp.

• 1 Asda trolley at end of section.

• 1 Asda trolley in the lock.

• 2 wooden pallets.

• 1 `Pets at Home` container.

 .. Cwmbran Retail Park ..

• Asda Supermarket Trolley at start of section. As recorded in August .

• 5 `Pets at Home` storage boxes dumped in the canal

•  A wooden Pallet from `Pets at Home` store, dumped in the canal. (The store stack their pallets outside, `unsecured` awaiting collection).

• 6 Shopping Trolleys - not clearly identifiable as to which store or stores they belong to.

• No Litter Bins.

• A Kingfisher.

• 5 Ducks.

• 2 Moorhens.

• Weed free.

• Small concentrated areas of litter - bottles cans, 2 traffic cones as noted in previous months.

• Overall Poor.

    *  As B&Q now collect their trolleys from the carpark each evening and secure them in their trolley park, there have been no further instances of  B&Q trolleys dumped in the canal.

`Pets at Home`- Unsecured Pallets and storage boxes awaiting collection

.     

A wooden Pallet from the `Pets at Home` store and a `Pets at Home` storage box, dumped in the canal.

* Important Update *

Today,30th November 2005, I had an amiable and positive `site` meeting with the the Store Manager, Ms. Sam Morgan. She informed me that the store has now introduced `positive measures` whereby the staff `chain` the storage boxes and wooden pallets securely together to await collection, which is now a couple of times a week as opposed to a more sporadic collection date.

.. Star Street to Bellevue Road ..

My observations :-

• Heavily littered throughout section to Broadweir bridge.

• 2 `unidentified` Shopping trolleys.

• Pondweed throughout section.

• 4 Moorhens.

• No Litter Bins.

• Overall Very Poor.

.. Henllys Way to Two Locks Road ..

My observations :-

• Patches of Pondweed throughout section.

• 24 Ducks.

• 2 Moorhens.

• 1 Litterbin.

• Some litter.

• Overall Good.

.. Two Locks Road to Hollybush Way ..

My observations :-

• Stone Steps of  gradient `Lock` damaged. (See Photo) As reported in the January 16th 2005 Audit.

• 27 Ducks.

• 4 Moorhens.

• Patches of Pondweed throughout section.

• 3 Litter Bins, all being used;- 1 previously vandalised and only the frame remaining.

• Sign depicting `Hanson Brickworks` defaced. (See Photo)  Reported to T.B.Council, Graffiti  removed, although some of the script needs retouching.

Summing Up

On the positive side:-

I believe that we, in Cwmbran, are fortunate in having a watercourse that once played a major part in our industrial heritage, and with the correct management, social respect and environmental awareness, the canal can bring immense pleasure to us all as a leisure amenity - Boating, Fishing, Walking, Cycling etc.

• `Pets at Home` store have now `positively` addressed their storage boxes and pallet security.

However, it saddens me, that the actions of  some selfish and ignorant individuals from our home town of Cwmbran go out of their way to spoil  this `Enviable Asset` by littering the waterway/ towpath and also several willful acts of vandalism .

* I now know of several Litterbins along the canal in Cwmbran, where only the frame remains; this seems to imply that they are not well designed as to their security feature.

* I know of another site along the towpath in Pontnewydd where the Litterbin has been deliberately burned down.

* There is another Litterbin on the towpath in Pontnewydd that shows signs of something being placed on the top and set alight.

 As there is the initial cost to supply each Litterbin and  a subsequent additional cost to replace any vandalised Litterbins, I would suggest and recommend that any future Litterbins be made of Steel or Cast Iron; I appreciate that there would be a higher cost for each Litterbin, but as they would not be able to be removed from their `seating` and coupled with  the added bonus that they would be `Fireproof`; I believe that the money would be well spent.

 

Back in 1993, I was the instigator of a locally run environmental project on the Canal in Pontnewydd; we called ourselves THE GREEN TEAM; because of the support the Group attained, several Litterbins were placed on the towpath between the Pontnewydd Cascades and The Cross Keys Pub.

 

These bins were made of cast iron and although the inner linings were removed promptly and discarded in the canal by  the negative element within our society and in one or two instances, even fires had been lit within the bins ... to date the Litterbins have survived the test of Time.

* I would therefore strongly suggest, that consideration be given, towards any additional or replacement Litterbins be of a metal construction .. ( Readers, `Will you help? ... if so please telephone or write to Torfaen Borough Council ... As they say in Tesco`s " Every Little helps" ).

If you have any views on this matter please email me  

.. To visit The Monmouthshire Brecon and Abergavenny Canal Trust click here ..

Click here to read about the `GREEN TEAM ` of 1993

Click here for info. on the Monmouthshire canal