.. Canal Watch Update July 2006..
Sunday July 30th 2006
Time: 9.00 a.m
I decided to cycle this month, as Stewart Davies (Land and Drainage Officer -Torfaen County Borough Council) was on holiday
... the weather conditions were fine, although a few `rain clouds` were present (Yipee!! ); My ongoing `mission` to observe and report my findings, along the sections of the canal, which meander through Cwmbran (Cwmbran Tunnel to Ty Coch Way).
My observations:-
Cwmbran Tunnel to Five Locks Moorings
Minimal litter.
Steps leading down to tunnel need clearing of vegetation.
Newly
installed `Steel Bin` in use, although it has incurred it's first act of
vandalism as there is evidence of fire damage !!
Duckweed prevalent throughout section.
Several Mallard Ducks and a couple of Moorhens.
Five Locks Moorings
Both Litterbins
in use.
The Moorings, minimal floating litter.
Shrubs will be pruned in the Autumn.
Duckweed prevalent.
Five Locks to Pontnewydd Cascades
.. Pontnewydd Cascades ..
Heavy infiltration of weed in lock at start of section (adjacent to Cross Keys pub).
Some litter throughout section.
Vandalism - steel
bars that form side rails of footbridge, leading to Pontnewydd Park,
damaged.
Vandalism -
June:-A
fence panel, removed from Pontnewydd Park perimeter and dumped in the
canal. Update: Still awaiting removal.
Litter
bins along section being used.
Several Mallard Ducks and Moorhens.
June:- A Moorhen
nest, `attentive` parents and five young chicks. Update: Family all
doing `well`.
Duckweed prevalent.
Large patches of Yellow Water-Lillies (Nuphar lutea).
A patch of White Water-Lillies (Nymphaea alba).
Large area of Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre).
Pontnewydd Cascades to Maendy Way
Weir boards
at the Lock need replacing. update:
New, weir boards now installed -
24th July 2006
`Steel` Litterbin in use.
Duckweed prevalent.
An Asda shopping trolley in the
canal Lock.
N.b Stewart's Team have great difficulty removing rubbish from any of the Locks, due to `Safety concerns` .... I had suggested that the safest way would be to obtain a boat and approach this `concern` at `water level`.
Update: a small boat has been acquired (from Llanyrafon boating lake) and is awaiting it's maiden voyage in July; probably the section at Star Street, Old Cwmbran Update: due to staff shortage (holiday's etc.) still awaiting it's `inaugural` launch.
Maendy Way to Cwmbran Retail Park
Collection of
rubbish, including a television, in the Lock.
Minimal Litter along main section..
Several Mallards and Moorhens.
Pondweed prevalent.
One Shopping
Trolley.
Cwmbran Retail Park
30th July, ( Towpath in front of
the Cwmbran Retail Park ) - Torfaen County Borough Council employees prepare
a decorative stonework area for a bench seat which will be installed by a
working party made up of `Crosscut` volunteers from Wales, Northern Ireland
and the Nederlands on August 5th 2006.
.. `Pets at Home` store ..
A compound at the rear of the `Pets at Home` store, has previously been adapted to store the wooden Pallets and `tote` boxes awaiting collection ...
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.. Storage compound showing fire damage due to vandalism .. |
April
Update: Storage compound needs repairing and
made more secure. July Update: Still not
repaired/unsecured.
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.. Storage compound unsecured and gate inadequate for the purpose .. |
`Pets at Home` wooden pallets dumped in the canal section adjacent to their store.
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Wooden Pallets dumped in the canal in front of Pets at Home Store - Cwmbran Retail Park |
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`Pets at Home` need to address their storage compound framework and security as a matter of priority.
" I sincerely believe the management and staff at the store are `doing their best` to ensure that their `tote boxes and pallets do not end up in the canal, whereby they could endanger the wildlife and also `mar` the intrinsic beauty that should be enjoyed by us all.
I also believe that the ongoing problem of wooden pallets etc; ending up in the canal, will remain; until the necessary support and funding for a secure compound is made available from Head Office.
I intend to forward a copy of this webpage to `Pets at Home` Head Office for their attention".
.. The
Council should `charge` the store for retrieval/collection of items that
litter the canal ..
Two
trolleys observed
month. (not B&Q) Update: still awaiting removal.
*n.b B & Q now have a continuing policy, whereby all their trolleys, (which are of the non deposit variety); are `rounded up` at the end of each day and secured in the `Trolley compounds`).
Star Street to Henllys Way
Some litter.
Three shopping trolleys in the canal at start of section.
A litterbin installed on a nearby Lamp post being used.
Plan to site a `Steel` Litterbin at this section. Update: awaiting schedule.
Duckweed prevalent.
Henllys Way to Two Locks
Overall good.
Duckweed prevalent.
Steel Litterbin in use.
A plastic Litterbin outer casing missing, inner casing removed and discarded in canal.
Two Locks to Ty Coch
Litterbins in use.
Brick work needs replacing at the `cascade`. Update: Brickwork completed. July2006
Duckweed prevalent.
Several Mallards and Moorhens.
Overall good.
Vandalism:- Graffiti and fire damage to paintwork of Steel Litterbin near `The Cwmbran Tunnel`, Five Locks.
Vandalism - steel bars that form side rails of footbridge, leading to Pontnewydd Park, damaged.
Various `pockets` of litter throughout canal sections.
.. Litterbins in use along the Canal towpath .. need emptying though ..
Grass cutting continues as scheduled.
All Litterbins in use.
Continual evidence of dog owners being responsible by `poop scooping` and depositing the bagged faeces in the litterbins.
Two more `Steel` Litterbins to be installed July. Update: Still awaiting installation.
I observed a Heron, which `took off` and dropped a feather, of which I am now the `proud owner`
... Each day WE have a Choice ...
... We can choose to work .. With the Environment ...
Or
... We can choose to work .. Against the Environment ...
... Let Our Choice Today ...
... be an Action for a Better Tomorrow ...
Our Future ...
... In Our Hands.
.. Be sure to look out for the August instalment of Canal Watch 2006 ..
