Purpose
The Construction & Operations (C&O) Strategy is one of the six supporting strategies, which together combine to deliver the Trust’s overall strategy to restore the canals. The diagram below sets this out and shows where the C&O Strategy fits in. From these, flow the two-yearly Operational Plans (OPs), the current approved one, covering 2025/26, was approved and launched in January 2025.
The C&O Strategy will specifically:
- Deliver a safe working environment.
- Ensure sufficient beneficial work for the regular volunteer teams.
- Input to regulatory and financial planning and budgeting.
- Get sections of canal in water asap.
- Encourage take up of new volunteers.
Connection to the Operational Plan
The C&O Strategy will primarily enable the delivery of the prevailing OP, which defines the priority sites for that two-year period. The 2025/26 OP identified six sites where construction will take place within this period as set out below.
- Darnford Moors Ecology Park – completion of the channel nearest Darnford Lane, obtain consents for and construction of Darnford Lane canal culvert. Repair Lock 30.
Development of the ecology on site and clearance of the ground towards Canal Cottage. - Tamworth Road East of Cricket Lane – completion of the channel and towpaths and connection to the culvert under Cricket Lane.
- Tamworth Road West of Cricket Lane – construction of the channel, towpaths and lift bridge from Cricket Lane up to Fishface and onwards to Gallows Reach/ Gallows Wharf.
- St John’s (Persimmon section) – commence construction of the canal channel and locks 21, 22 and 23 between London Road/Shell garage and the railway bridge.
- Falkland Road – commence construction of the canal channel and locks 19, 20 and 21 between London Road and Claypit Lane.
- Darnford Park – continue to discharge planning conditions, maintain grounds and commence ecological improvements.
Commence construction of the A38 and A51 culvert crossings in 2026 subject to funding.
Construction
In line with LHCRT’s Volunteer Strategy the restoration of the canals on sections identified in the prevailing OP will be delivered by our well trained, motivated and retained volunteer teams.
This will be supported by specialist contractors, as required, subject to available funding, particularly on more complex and specialist construction. All elements of the delivery – Trustees, site volunteers and contractors – will strive for compliance to all appropriate health and safety legislation.
All plant will be subject to compliance with appropriate legal requirements and in accordance with proactive maintenance schedules.
Operations
In order to note any change , protect the public from harm and ensure the stability of water levels and infrastructure four-weekly length inspections will take place. Volunteers will use the inspections to prioritise and programme works.
Water levels, positive or negative, will be controlled by appropriately located weirs, back pumps and manually operated valves.
Delivery
As with construction and in line with the Volunteer Strategy, restoration work will be delivered by our well trained, motivated and retained volunteer workforce, whenever we have the capability and the capacity.
Where we lack the necessary resources to deliver restoration in accordance the OP, we will consider use of specialist contractors, subject to any financial constraints.
Where our volunteers do not have the necessary skills, or we do not have suitable plant and/or where there are significant health and safety risks, we will use specialist contractors to undertake specific items of work, for example construction beneath or within the highway. All participants in construction delivery – Trustees, site volunteers and contractors – will strive for compliance with all appropriate health and safety legislation.
All plant will be subject to compliance with appropriate legal requirements and proactive maintenance schedules with formal keeping of maintenance records undertaken
Health and safety and a safe working environment
The Trust’s Health and Safety Policy will be followed, the key aspects are as follows:
The Trust will strive to ensure:
- That adequate time and resources are available to ensure appropriate provision is made for health, safety and wellbeing.
- That, through proactive management and with the cooperation of all LHCRT members and volunteers, all hazards and associated risks will be identified, evaluated, controlled and reviewed to minimise risk so far as is reasonably practicable, Safe systems of work will be provided including emergency arrangements.
- That all members and volunteers are provided with information, instruction, training and supervision, as necessary, to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing while undertaking their assigned activities.
- The provision of information and instruction on the safe handling and use of substances.
- The provision and maintenance of safe plant and equipment.
- The provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).
- The working environment, including access and egress, is safe, minimises risks to health and adequate provision is made for welfare facilities and arrangements.
- Monitoring of activities through regular site inspections.
- Provision of established and effective procedures for consultation and communication between all LHCRT members and volunteers of the Trust on matters of health, safety and wellbeing.
- That all near miss, accident and incidents are reported and investigated in line with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR 2013).
Working towards compliance
The Trust has a position of Health and Safety Advisor which has periodically been vacant. We will always, as a priority, seek to fill any vacancy whilst continuing to have regard to health and safety on our sites.
The C&O Trustee holds an Institute of Occupational Safety & Health certificate and is trained and practiced in health and safety compliance.
The Planning & Technical (P&T) Trustee is fully conversant with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).
For the implementation of CDM 2015, the Company Secretary has the client responsibility, the P&T Trustee has the designer responsibility and the C&O Trustee holds the contractor responsibility.
The P&T Trustee will issue form F10 notifications to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for individual construction sites and the F10 will be displayed in all welfare facilities.
The following legislation will apply to the Trust’s construction activities and sites
- Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (whilst this does not legally apply to our volunteers as they are not paid) it will be applied.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).
- Lifting Operation & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER 1998).
- Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
- Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
The Trust has a post of Volunteer Health and Safety Representative and will provide them with necessary training to cover any requirements for the applicable of legislation.
We will monitor for any change in applicable legislation and update our health and safety processes and procedures to remain compliant.
Construction programme
The construction programme covering the period 2025 – 2026 is set out below.
- Darnford Moors Ecology Park:
Obtain permission to gain access to Lock 30
Clear site and start repairs to Lock 30
Clear the canal bed of vegetation between the canal in water and Lock 30
Line the canal and bring into water upstream of Lock 30
Construct a towpath linking existing towpath to Cappers Lane - Tamworth Road, East of Cricket Lane (ie: Phase 1):
Manufacture and fit lock gates to Lock 25 and 26
Construction a water retaining canal from Lock 25 to Cricket Lane
Connect canal to culvert under Cricket Lane
Fill canal with water - Tamworth Road, West of Cricket Lane (ie: Phases 2 & 3):
Phase 2 – Gallows Wharf to Lift Bridge
Construct lift bridge
Construct a water retaining canal from Gallows Wharf to the lift bridge
Phase 3 – Lift Bridge to Cricket Lane
Construct a water retaining canal from Lift Bridge to Lock 24
Construct Lock 24
Fill canal with water
Construct a towpath from the lift bridge to Cricket Lane
Phase 4
Connect canal to culvert under Cricket Lane
Fill canal with water
Phase 5
Connect canal to culvert under Cricket Lane
Fill canal with water - St John’s
Following the granting of planning consent/discharge of conditions and any other applicable consents, work on this section can proceed. - Falkland Road
Following the granting of planning consent/discharge of conditions and any other applicable consents, work on this section can proceed. - Darnford Park
Following the granting of planning consent/discharge of conditions and any other applicable consents, work on this section can proceed.
The C&O Trustee, P&T Trustee and Construction Manager will be responsible for working together to plan, programme and deliver all construction activity to deliver the prevailing OP.
Volunteers
We will operate two volunteer teams for constructions operations. In Spring 2025, one team will complete construction of Tamworth Road Phase 1. The other team will start construction of Phase 2.
Following completion of Phase 1, the team will either assist with Phase 2 or start Phase 3. Alternatively, the team may commence construction of St Johns Phase 1.
Once the Cricket Lane culvert construction is completed at the end of 2025, one team will return to complete Phases 4 and 5 and linking Phase 1 to the Cricket Lane culvert.
Two well trained and highly motivated site leaders will continue to lead our volunteer teams and new volunteers will be recruited to fulfil any volunteer shortages.
Dependent on timing, if required we will create a third team in order to deliver the OP.
Training will be provided to appropriate volunteers to ensure health and safety compliance and training will be provided to enhance skill levels in construction work.
Programmes of work will be provided to ensure volunteers know where they will be working and the construction they will be undertaking, as follows:
- Eight-week programme.
- Six-month programme.
- Overall programme for works in 2025 and 2026.
- Four-weekly Team briefs will be undertaken and four-weekly liaison meetings between Green & Grounds and C&O will continue.
A training programme will be provided for the Health & Safety Representative, Plant Manager and Lift Plan appointed person. Pending training, we will hire-in Lift Plan resource.
Waterways Recovery Group (WRG) and corporate volunteers will be utilised in delivery of the Trust’s construction programme wherever possible and will be appropriately supervised.
External contractors
To ensure we deliver the construction programme and meet the planning conditions and conditions attached to funding awards we will engage specialist contractors if necessary.
We will also engage contractors for more specialist construction work that is not suitable for our voluntary teams’ skill sets.
Any lift that requires a lift plan will be outsourced to an approved contractor until we have a suitably trained volunteer.
External consultants will be used to fill any gaps in health and safety training and appropriate assessments delivery.
Haulage experts will be contracted to remove spoil from site.
Plant
All large plant will display the Trust’s logo and contact details.
The Trust currently owns five excavators – 9 tonne, 8 tonne, 5 tonne, two mini excavators, two large dumpers and a Nissan Navara. The Trust also owns several items of small plant.
We will keep plant clean and well maintained.
The condition and use of all plant will be reviewed regularly and any necessary plans for retention, replacement and disposal will be drawn up.
The 8 and 9 tonne excavators will be certificated for lifting operations and new strops and chains will be purchased.
In general, further items of plant will be hired in, unless a valid business case for purchase can be made.
A proactive maintenance schedule will be created and managed by a volunteer plant manager. Routine checks and simple tasks should be carried out by trained plant operatives. More complex maintenance will be undertaken by a specialist contractor.
Removal of surplus excavated material
Proactive removal of excavated material will take place to ensure a safe and hazard free construction site and compliance with any planning constraints.
Wherever possible, we will look for opportunities for others to take our surplus material and reuse it beneficially on their sites. In general, this is the most cost-effective option for the Trust. Where this is not possible, we will either:
- Remove the material to another Trust site where it will be reused, or
- Pay for offsite disposal, or
- Move the surplus material to Fosseway.
However, option 2 is likely to be expensive and option 3 will be using up valuable tip space, which is likely to be needed when we excavate the remainder of the channel adjacent to Falkland Road.
The decision on which option should apply on each occasion will be made by the P&T Trustee.
February 2025