Extra £2m funding to clear silt from historic docks

An additional £2m is to be spent on clearing silt from Gloucester Docks, after boats became stranded.

The Canal & River Trust (CRT) has doubled its dredging budget to £4m in response to concerns about the impact on boaters, businesses and tourism.

The build-up of silt is being blamed on the prolonged dry weather, low river flows and high tides contributing to increased silt being carried into the docks from the River Severn.

Ben Cottam, CRT regional director, said it had caused "significant challenges" and it was the charity's job to "get the docks back to a fully operable state".

The next phase of the dredging programme is due to begin on 5 October and Cottam says the extra money means the work can be expanded.

"We can dredge more areas of the docks to a greater depth.

"This programme will help restore operational depths across the docks, but we also need to focus on the future.

"Alongside dredging, we'll be investing in measures to try to reduce the amount of silt entering the docks from the River Severn."

David Purchase, owner of On Toast based at the docks, said the increase in funding was "encouraging".

"They should be able to deal with the silt left over from last year and the silt that's come in over the summer as well.

"But we have to have a plan on how to deal with the docks in the future, as we've been here before. Unless something is put into a long term plan, we will continue having this problem.

"From the point of view of my business, the last two years have been the worst for trading in my 16 years of being in the docks," he said.

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