Six week closure of Doncaster canal lock "will bring lorry pollution and congestion"
The six week closure of a Doncaster canal lock for repairs will bring nearly 100 extra lorries to the area’s roads each week, causing pollution and congestion, a campaigning charity has said.
The Canal & River Trust has issued a notice of plans to close Skyehouse Lock, on the New Junction Canal near Thorne from November 3 to December 19 for bottom and top gate repairs.
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) says the six-week closure is excessive and disregards the impact on navigation and local businesses.
The duration of the intended closure means that the impact on navigation users, particularly commercial freight, will be substantial.
The route is used by Casper River and Canal Freight, and Mainmast (Exol Oil).
Between the two companies, one barge load of oil (400 tonnes), two 300 tonne barge loads of scrap, and one 100 tonne load of cement per week are transported through the lock.
This adds up to 1,100 tonnes per week, and the closure puts the equivalent of 88 25-ton lorry journeys per week back on road, adding to congestion and pollution in the local area, the IWA has said.
The IWA is now calling on CRT to minimise the length of the stoppage to reduce the effect on commercial water freight, local roads, and air quality.
A spokesperson said: “IWA's Freight Group released a recent report highlighting the untapped potential of our inland waterways as a sustainable alternative to road freight.
"With the UK striving to meet net zero targets, the report shows that moving freight by barge offers substantial environmental and economic benefits.
David Lowe, IWA Freight group said “To maximise the benefits of freight on the waterways the infrastructure needs to be available, and maintenance on key traffic routes carried out as efficiently as possible.”