Canoe club's concern for future over river issues

Colchester Canoe Club used to paddle in the River Colne until the weir, pictured in the background, collapsed

A canoe club says it is concerned about its future because of uncertainty over a weir that collapsed into the water.

Colchester City Council is considering the future of the weir at Castle Park, in the city centre, which plunged into the River Colne in December 2022.

Among the options being considered is the installation of a smaller structure at a cost of £2.2m or leaving the river to re-naturalise, which the council said would incur annual maintenance costs of about £5,000.

Steve Waters, a trustee of Colchester Canoe Club, which has about 80 members, said the cheaper option would be problematic because weeds could grow and make the river unusable for the club's members.

He said safety restrictions implemented after the brickwork fell into the river nearly two years ago remained in place.

"At the moment there's low water where you can just about paddle," he told the BBC.

"We've started concentrating on teaching people to a lower level than we could with the weir."

The water levels have remained low since the weir collapsed

Another option being considered by the council is offering the canoe club an alternative site.

Mr Waters said it would need to find somewhere big enough for a clubhouse, changing facilities and storage.

He said the club had enough savings to keep it afloat and its membership fees – although reduced because of the ongoing issue – were keeping its head above water.

"It could be an ideal area for water sports," he added.

Former MP Sir Bob Russell hopes the council will invest in replacing the weir

Sir Bob Russell, the city's former Liberal Democrat MP, lives close to the park and feared the council would take the cheapest option – "which is the wrong option".

"Colchester council can find the money when it wants to find the money… I think what's important here is to uphold the status of the conservation area," he said.

An alternative option – creating a rock river feature – has already been ruled out because of insufficient water flow, the council said.

'A complex issue'

Sir Bob and several members of the canoe club raised their concerns at a meeting of the council's scrutiny panel on Tuesday.

The committee recommended that the joint Lib Dem-Labour administration continued to monitor the environmental impacts of any decisions that had already been taken and to support the canoe club.

Martin Goss, the Lib Dem councillor responsible for waste, neighbourhoods and leisure, said it was a "complex issue that affects many aspects of life in Colchester".

"We want to make sure that any decision is based on sound evidence and reflects what is best for residents, both now and in the future," he said in a statement issued before the meeting.

The collapse of the 900-year-old weir meant the closure of a nearby footbridge for 643 days.

A £761,000 budget was allocated to repair it, but spiralling costs led to a projected overspend of £139,000, a Freedom of Information request made by the BBC revealed.