@@Nick-e8k that’s not how it works with infrastructure. It’s money into the local economy, with safe mooring which could easily be achieved with the marinas etc you’d have return on investment in less than 10 years. Most canal schemes are within 5-7. The issue is that isn’t money in hand it’s to the local economy, more use of business etc you don’t directly see it like you would fares on a railway. Then the development that springs up around is a gradual improvement to the area.

@CourtAboveTheCut OK I bow to your knowledge on the economic benefits. I have no knowledge of your location but I assume you know this area . It is a narrow corridor of enterprising industry. From whole printing and heavy engenering to long stay/ overnight haulage park. With many small companies in between. And I love it. Plus I would love to see it developed A secure marina ? Publicly owned, yes. Privately owned I doubt it.. you would require a fully enclosed site with robust fencing to start with. A car park where cars can, in the first instance equally as secure. I just don't see how you could convince "me" and my 150k boat to tie up there. If RMBC will open the canal and build the marina fine. The video looks like it is a long stretch of canal almost into the centre of town. I guess it is more like half a mile and it stops just over a quarter of a mile away from the town hall. . I want to keep saying I love the idea and I love the area because I do and I would love to see it open I just have my doubts. Just as an aside it would be interesting to see if the money spent opening up what was a record holding bridge,( I think it was Europe's widest span) , has had that economic benefit you mention in your reply as it is now about 10 years since it was completed. And again a marvellous piece of engineering and forward planning. I wish those involved with this project all the luck in the world. And I hope to come back and see it. Nick S. PS still a fantastic video and a bit of history.

I’ve stayed there and I’ve seen the news, I know exactly what the area is and this is why it’s needed more. Money needs to be invested in the area to bring it out of poverty, investment is desperately needed . Broken window theory is definitely at play here

It’s not about a place to tie up it’s about unlocking land and nature into what quite frankly is a 💩 🕳️ the area is desperate for change and desperate for some greenery

@@Gizepi thank you and thanks for watching!

@@TheGramophoneGirl that’s the hope in this video. I see Steven’s stuff all the time and his enthusiasm is infectious, I had to get and see it to see if I can play my part in raising awareness

Looks like an ideal site for a row of SuperMax Facilities. By the looks of the place you wouldn't be up for much cost in transporting the potential residents to their accommodations.

I will share stuff on my socials as usual. It might be worth popping Steven a sub, his channel is in the description and somewhere in the comments

Exactly this, I wish more councils were as forward thinking as Stroud

Yes that much is pretty clear by the clearances of so much history already.

That road at 10:32 didn’t used to go right through until recently, maybe 5 years. I used to work in a garage right near here and that road definitely didn’t used to be a link between the two roads, just to the industrial units off and was connected to Lincoln street on the left, not Oldham Road on the right

Looking forward to your comments!

Ah interesting, I didn’t see a single car using it and I walked up and down 4 times so I’m guessing it’s not needed either

@@CourtAboveTheCut yea I don’t think that road is really needed tbh. I dunno why but my comment seems to have gone, my comments keep disappearing not just on your channel but on nearly everything I comment. As much as I’d love to see it, I don’t think this arm will ever re-open unfortunately. Rochdale council don’t have the forward thinking for it. They have a similar mindset to Oldham. They have no interest in keeping or saving any heritage of what built the town. Listed buildings seem to just “fall down” in the middle of the night or catch fire. The only reason why the canal was even reopened in the first place was due to a massive lottery grant if I remember right. I was only a kid when it happened, maybe about 11 or 12 when they were deculverting Smithybridge Road near my mum and dads house, but even then I remember thinking how good it was and how it will make the area more attractive, as a kid. It’s obvious to anyone with any common sense. P.s. you were lucky to get out from Half Penny Bridge without being propositioned by a prozzy with no teeth. It’s rough round there.

@ I stayed just up the road, near to a big park there’s a hotel in a park. I arrived whilst it was dark, went for a walk through the park to find some food. After eating the hottest Chinese food I’ve ever had (lovely just hot) I had to go on the search for some Gaviscon, other fat man tablets are available, I’m not going to lie walking around the town didn’t fill me with joy, thankfully I’m a big guy and have been in rough areas before so I’m generally left alone but I was definitely being watched in places

It’s crazy how easy it is to make it a good one again! Manchester is known for its canals as well, it’s surprising this hasn’t been pushed before

Will do! Thanks for the link Steve

@ no problem!

I’ve done plenty of research thank you, I literally spend my life reading up on canals and what I said is true, if you don’t like that then that’s your opinion but things changed after the 1800s as the engineers became more experienced, it’s info freely available online should you wish to read it. How much experience do you think anyone had on the first commercial canal to be dug? The clue is in the fact that it was the first. The canal has breached on multiple occasions, being built on quicksand being one reason, the rest as I described are all reasons that cause breaches, the canal is widely regarded as poor construction in places hence the previous issues, again feel free to have your own opinion on that but that’s exactly what it is

Chat cut off from me before I got to your last messages! Thank you so much for the support!

@@CourtAboveTheCut it’s really cool you find the time.

@@thoughtsonnarrowboatingwit3882 I w just started a second channel as well 😂 I’m an idiot!

@ hey… 🤣😅

@@GenuinePluko I expect someone somewhere knows the answer. You’d need to start looking at all canals built before 1800 then working out the miles of embankment, I doubt any have been replaced

@@thoughtsonnarrowboatingwit3882 thank you. There is such a big movement to do these things and thankfully it’s not starting to become known!

@ I remember doing a car park job that had to go back to design because of something similar, actually the reverse of what’s happening here… 10 metres is easily doable, going back to design, as you know costs money, that’s the crux of it, money.