Kirkstall Matters - Tow Path news

First a word of congratulations on a superb Kirkstall Festival a fine day and a finer huge crowd.

As readers know I am fortunate to live within yards of the Leeds Liverpool Canal at Amen Corner as it cuts through the Aire valley alongside the river. I regularly walk along the tow path into town or out to Saltaire. It was a great shock early this year to learn that it was shut due to the foot and mouth crisis. Although you usually have to get out to Rodley to see a cow or sheep the 'restricted zone' reached right into inner city Armley.

I believe vaccination is the answer. At the same time the House of Commons Environment Select Committee was conducting an enquiry on the benefits of 'Walking in Towns and Cities'. Their findings were published recently and featured the benefits of walking along towpaths. I campaigned for the towpath restrictions to be speedily lifted as unnecessary.

This summer I invited the British Waterways Board Leeds Liverpool Canal manager and the Northern regional manager to join me on a walk from Armley to Rodley, checking out the state of the canal, the lock gates (a new Kirkstall lock gate was put in not so long ago using the traditional engineering) the condition of the footpaths, access and general maintenance proposed to enhance the towpath walk.

As one of the Walking in Towns and Cities submissions argued a key benefit can be 'improving communication between citizens' and on the Friday afternoon we chose for the walk there was no shortage of 'citizens' to chat to. Leeds Liverpool canal is exceptionally well used and manages to accommodate walkers, cyclists and fishing with a bit of friendly give and take. There were no cases of 'rod rage' (c.f. the Calder canal case this summer when a pilot riding his bike was in court for deliberately riding over expensive long fishing rods).

More seriously this summer the youth activity schemes involving supervised use of the canal have helped ensure there have been no tragic drowning accidents. Yet picnicking and swimming and jumping into the locks on sunny days has been more evident than ever though a constant worry to our local lock keepers. Increasingly the Leeds Liverpool Canal tow path through Kirkstall Valley is becoming one of our city's key recreational sites.

British Waterways Board have now published an illustrated guide to the full length of the Leeds Liverpool Canal if anyone wants a free copy of the booklet just contact my constituency office 2a Conference Place LS12 3DZ tel 2310258. We can work with the British Waterways board to maintain and sustain this valuable local amenity.

In the meantime I notice that the Dana Corporation which took over from GKN axles, the old Kirkstall forge is up for sale. There has been a forge on that site since the days of the Kirkstall Abbey monks. Hopefully a future for forging there can still be secured.

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