Greenford Steps Up for Maidenhead Restoration Scheme
An Oxford based civil engineering firm has been appointed by The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) as Principal Contractor for the construction of the Green Lane weir, fish, eel pass and boat rollers which has now started. Greenford Ltd, with expertise spanning twenty-five years and specialty within the water industry worked on the initial phase in 2015 as part of a 10-year scheme by The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead to rejuvenate Maidenhead’s town centre.
The waterway project was initiated in 2006 by Maidenhead Waterways Group, a charity run by local people. Planning consent was granted in 2012 and the project adopted by RBWM in 2014. The waterway is being built in stages in conjunction with adjoining town centre regeneration projects.
Richard Davenport, Chair of the Trustees for Maidenhead Waterways Group said: “Completing the weir stage will help transform the outlook for large areas of the town centre permanently filling and stabilising the York Stream and creating an amenity that can be actively or passively enjoyed by all. The inclusion of a fish and eel pass will allow fish passage and two old weirs can then be removed to improve aquatic connectivity to and through Maidenhead town centre”.
Robert Hutton, Director at Greenford said: “We are extremely pleased to have been appointed to take on the work and to form part of such an aspirational project. Much of what we do at Greenford involves working in the community to create and design solutions which blend seamlessly into the environment and this is no exception. We very much look forward to starting on the next phase.”
Once constructed, the weir will lift surface water levels and increase water depths throughout the town centre channel, filling the already enlarged channels. The York Stream arm of the waterway is set for completion and to be fully operational by the end of 2019.
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s Area Action Plan covers a range of aspects including delivering attractive streets and places, new shops, homes and business and leisure opportunities.
CouncillorDerek Wilson, Waterways Champion at the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead said: “Funding the weir will ensure that more of our residents will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the waterways now and in the future.
“It was important to us that we made the waterways as accessible as possible and the weir will ensure that small boats of all kinds are able to travel in and along our beautiful town centre waterways uninhibited.”
