Spondon Linear Park
Being
fully convinced of the economic and environmental benefits of a fully-functioning
canal to the local area, the Village Improvement Committee is working with the Derby
& Sandiacre Canal Society in their efforts to re-open this waterway.
During 2004, the VIC started to plan for an early opening of the stretch
of canal through Spondon as a "linear park". To this end, a public
meeting was held at the Moon Hotel on May 27th 2004, attracting over 80
people. There was great support for the idea, with a number of suggestions for
features to be incorporated.
 | SCAN article December 2008 |
| Rainbow bridge |
| Information boards |
| Canal route |
The following article appeared in the December 2008 edition of SCAN.
A recent report in the Derby Evening Telegraph dismayed many in Spondon by reporting on initial developments in the Draycott area, with no mention of Spondon. However, the Project Manager, Rob Hartley is keen to stress that Spondon is still very much “in the frame” for early development, as he reports here:
“Let us start with the two specific sections of canal, Spondon and Draycott, both sponsored for procurement by our primary funding partner Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership. The economic opportunities of building sustainable, desirable and affordable homes bordering a waterway have been seized by a developer in Spondon. Along this mile section part of the canal has been adopted to act as an alternative drainage scheme for the proposed new housing development. The setting of an attractive linear park and features of the canal has led to outline planning for over two hundred new residential homes. Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust (DSCT) have formed a partnership with the developer to build part of the Spondon mile and provide match funding for the remaining capital outlay.
The scope to integrate the canal within the Environmental Agency’s flood protection strategy is an extremely interesting role. The route of the canal passes through a host of high risk flood cells, susceptible to surface run off and river flooding, these sectional canal builds are capable of providing catchment for river diversion and sustainable urban drainage soakaways through the series of open space wetland and woodland creations. Once again DSCT are consulting with the Environmental Agency to the use of the canal in flood management, hopefully leading to a joined up strategy to canal reinstatement and flood management.
In this time of (now official!) recession, the government has implemented a policy of Keynsian economics to stimulate growth by fast tracking infrastructure projects. Consequently, our Derby & Sandiacre Canal becomes a strong candidate to attract public funding. For the time being we are thankful to the foresight of our private partners at Draycott and Spondon along with the regional development agency, whilst not ignoring any opportunity to fund the entire canal. The canal can deliver significant benefits and efficiencies for waterborne freight and canal side development, a matter we hope can be recognised by all our political stakeholders.”
On a more mundane note, we are pleased to report that the anti-graffiti coating applied to the canal bridge at Station Road has proved its worth. A small number of “additions” was quickly removed; our thanks to local residents June and Tony O’Connor for their assistance. We also took the opportunity to similarly protect the information boards at B&Q and Anglers Lane.
In
July 2007, the SCA obtained a grant of £3000 from Small Change, part of Derby City
Partnership, to produce a mural on the bridge over the canal at Station Road, Spondon.
Over the decades the bridge had suffered badly from graffiti, and was beyond
just cleaning (see below).
The grant funded work by community artists, Di Shepherd and Steve Coley from Artblock and we asked the pupils of Asterdale School in Spondon to come up with some ideas for them to work from. Before that could happen, we were helped by the Probation Service who brought along some groups of people serving community service orders, who did some scrub clearance and put on a white base coat (using paint supplied by the Community Safety Partnership.)
Artblock worked on the bridge for the first 2 weeks in August, 2007 with the end result shown here. While they were working they got a lot of positive comments and support from passers-by, including local children. It was one of them that suggested that it should be called "Rainbow bridge", and so it was!
 |
 |
 |
 |
Unfortunately, we suffered an early graffiti attack soon after completion but this (plus an anti-graffiti coating donated by the Community Safety Partnership) was repaired by Di Shepehrd and a number of volunteers in May 2008.
There
are now two information boards installed giving details of the plans for Spondon
Linear Park, funded by the City Council Area Panel 1. Click on the thumbnail
(left) for a larger picture of the actual boards.
One is sited on Megaloughton Lane (pictured right) at the start of the footpath (adjacent to the entrance to B&Q).
The
second is further along the canal route, close to where is crosses Angler's Lane
(pictured left).
These boards are the first visible signs "on site" of our plans for the canal route in Spondon and will hopefully attract attention - and support!
The full route of the map is shown below (reproduced from the Canal Society website).
Take a look at the pictures below (courtesy of Doug Flack and the Canal Society) for an "artist's impression" of what the canal will look like when it's re-opened through Spondon!
Take a look at the other major VIC projects (Chapel Lane cemetery refurbishment, the Severn-Trent clock, West Park Meadows Local Nature Reserve, and the Village History Trail) or past and planned events.