Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Ltd

David Suchet, Vice-President, LHCRT

FINAL UPDATE - OCTOBER 2003

The completion of the culverts at Churchbridge at the beginning of 2003 and the erection of the Lichfield Canal Aqueduct in August means that the threat to our canals posed by the M6 Toll has finally been overcome. This effectively brings The David Suchet Appeal to an end. It has been an outstanding success and we owe David and Sheila Suchet an enormous debt of gratitude. Not content with being a name on the letterhead, David has been closely involved with the project all the way and made many visits to see how work was progressing whenever his busy schedule allowed. Click here for pictures of David Suchet's visit to the construction site on 28th November 2002. The Appeal and related smaller grants raised a total of £320,216.00.

The proposal to build a new motorway through the Midlands, the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (BNRR) as it was then known, threatened to jeopardise the restoration of both the Lichfield and the Hatherton Canals by blocking both routes. In spite of a recommendation by the Government's own Public Enquiry Inspector that both canals could and should be accommodated by providing motorway crossings, the Minister of Transport at that time disagreed. The contract that was given to Midland Expressway Ltd only required them to provide foundations in the new road to allow for an aqueduct for the Lichfield Canal to be built at some future time (if and when the funds became available).

This unwelcome decision led to strenuous campaigning by the Trust, and on our behalf by many supporters and well-wishers. Hundreds of people sent letters to Transport Minister John Prescott, appealing to him to reconsider. They were politely but firmly told that "the Government does not change its mind". Chris Coburn, well known waterways campaigner, took his narrowboat "Progress" to Caernarfon by way of the Menai Straits to publicise our plight and fight for justice. But that's another story .....

At the opening of the Braunston Boat Show in 1999 Chris approached David Suchet who gladly took up the fight, and in July 2000 accepted the Trust's invitation to become our Vice-President. The David Suchet Appeal was launched at a Press Call, organised by Chris Coburn and sponsored by the British Marine Industries Federation, at the Earls Court Boat Show in January 2001. From that moment the Trust's public profile took on a new dimension. Donations small and large flooded in from all over the country. At last Midland Expressway Ltd began to realise we were not going to go away. Negotiations began.

It has been a long and difficult struggle. We are grateful to so many people for their support, financial and political, both in public and behind the scenes. We certainly could not have done it alone, but what seemed at first an impossible target has resulted in not only achieving our aims, but also brought about a change of Government policy which will ensure that future road builders will have to make provision for any canal that is under restoration or has a possibility of future restoration.

Thank you to all our members and friends for your help. Together we did it!

David Suchet launches his appeal at the London Boat Show in January 2001

From its launch in January 2001, the David Suchet Appeal soon raised the first £150,000 needed to pay for enlarging the culvert under a new roundabout for the A5/A34 roads alongside the M6 Toll motorway [BNRR] at Churchbridge, near Cannock.
David Suchet at the site of the A5/A34 roundabout culvert for the Hatherton Canal, near Cannock. (Photo Phil Sharpe)

The same culvert, completed to navigable dimension,
with the Washbrook flowing through. (Photo Phil Sharpe) Work began in January 2002 when David Suchet came to visit the site (above). By July, the structure had been completed to take both the Washbrook stream and the Hatherton Canal.

Our campaigning persuaded the Government to apply new policy guidelines to also have enlarged to navigable standard the main culvert under the new motorway itself at Churchbridge, then valued at £350,000, using ‘internal funding’ without recourse to the Trust.

Contributions to the David Suchet Appeal therefore led to achieving work costing £500,000 .... and more!

Culvert 144, allowing the Hatherton Canal to pass under
the M6 Toll motorway near Walkmill Lane, Cannock.
(Photo Phil Sharpe)

Not only have these two culverts now been built, with water flowing through, but the cost also serves as match funding for the Trust’s successful application for a European Regional Development Fund grant of over £250,000 to attract further funding towards full restoration of the Hatherton Canal by acquiring:-

professional Studies and Reports for engineering, water supply, environmental assessment, economic benefits,

additional construction for the Canal around the Motorway works near Cannock,

key areas of land to secure the future of the whole route of the Hatherton Canal.

All this was made possible through the generous support of so many people, groups and businesses donating funds to the David Suchet Appeal. This really got things started. The Trust is very grateful to everyone who has contributed.

However, it did not end there as the Lichfield Canal crosses over the M6 Toll Motorway by an aqueduct at Muckley Corner, near Lichfield, at a cost of approximately £500,000.

The motorway builders were only required in their contract to provide at their own expense the foundations for the aqueduct, but the Highways Agency issued a Variation Order for the contractor to construct the abutments and central column up to canal level, subject to the Trust obtaining the funding.

Work on the aqueduct is now completed.
The Manifold Trust made a generous private grant of £250,000, which has paid for the centre columns and abutments.
Manufacture and installation of the steel canal trough cost up to a further £250,000.
Further grants from the Inland Waterways Association, Staffordshire Environmental Fund and others helped to close the funding gap.
The steel trough, fabricated by Rowecord Ltd of South Wales, was installed August 2003, ahead of the opening of the motorway later this year.
The £500,000+ spent on the aqueduct has also been accepted as match funding to increase the European funding grant by a further £512,000 to rebuild Cappers Lane Bridge on the Lichfield Canal.

I am so pleased that the threat to our canals posed by construction of the M6 Toll is being overcome through the magnificent support of so many to this Appeal. My thanks go to everyone who has contributed in whatever way to ensuring that the route of these two important canals is being secured for the future.

David Suchet
Hon. Vice President
October 2002

The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals form the strategic link between the Birmingham Canal Navigations and the very active canals to the North East and North West, thus revitalising over 50 miles of inland waterways in the West Midlands Region.

Following the success of the David Suchet Appeal we have now launched the "Regular Giving Scheme" for supporters who would like to continue to make donations to help fund our restoration. Click here for more details

	Back to top of page
	List of Donors to the David Suchet Appeal
	Details of the Regular Giving Scheme

Website designed by NelTek