Canal & River Trust doubles funding to tackle silt in Gloucester Docks
A £4 million dredging programme will begin next month after concerns from boaters and businesses
An extra £2million is being invested to tackle a build-up of silt at Gloucester Docks, doubling the dredging budget to £4million.
The Canal & River Trust announced the additional funding following concerns raised by boaters, businesses and residents about silt levels at the historic waterfront.
The charity said exceptional conditions this year, including prolonged dry weather, low river flows and high tides, have contributed to increased silt being carried into the Docks from the River Severn.
The enhanced dredging programme will begin on 5th October.
The programme aims to increase navigation depths, support boaters and waterside businesses, and help protect Gloucester Docks' role as one of the region's leisure, tourism and heritage destinations.
Alongside dredging, the Canal & River Trust said it will explore further measures to reduce the amount of silt entering the Docks from the River Severn in future.
The charity, which cares for Gloucester Docks as part of its work across England and Wales, said securing additional funding for a project of this scale has been challenging, but described the investment as essential given the importance of the Docks to the city and region.
Ben Cottam, regional director for Wales and South West at Canal & River Trust, said:
"We know people are frustrated by the impact that siltation has had in Gloucester Docks and we completely understand those concerns. Boaters, businesses, residents and visitors rightly cherish the Docks and want them to be well maintained, and that's why we are doubling our investment to address the problem.
"As a charity, we don't have spare funds sitting on the shelf for challenges like this. Delivering this additional investment will require us to identify funding from within our wider programme, reflecting the importance of Gloucester Docks to local people, businesses and boaters and our determination to address the issue.
"This programme will help restore operational depths across the Docks, but we also need to focus on the future. Alongside dredging, we'll be investing in measures to try to reduce the amount of silt entering the Docks from the River Severn.
"Beyond this we will look to engage with partners across local government, community, business and commercial partners as part of an exercise to identify future priorities for the Docks and Canal, which will help inform investment decisions in coming years."
"As Gloucester Docks celebrates its bicentenary, we want local communities and businesses to know that we remain committed to doing all we can."