The Trust is pushing ahead with restoration plans in Cranleigh, Surrey, with a project that would see the construction of a replacement bridge to take the canal below Elmbridge Road.
An application has been made to Waverley Borough Council which includes widening the problematic single-lane Elmbridge Road that runs from the A281, to create a two-way road and footway. The road widening would allow restoration of the Wey & Arun Canal beneath the major obstacle that the current road represents.
Surrey County Council has identified Elmbridge Road as a priority project, setting aside Section 106 funding (developer contributions) from new housing, and these funds will be used for the road widening, while the Trust will fund footpath improvements and restoration of the canal itself.
The project also includes some “enabling development” on the existing residential plot that will be severed when the canal is reinstated.
The proposal includes the restoration of 330m of the canal south of Elmbridge Road. The level of the canal will be lowered by about 2 metres to pass through the new bridge without excessive raising of the road. This will in turn require a new lock to be built, towards the southern end of the restored length, and the line of the towpath will be adjusted to cross the canal twice, once via the new bridge and again via a footbridge at the lock.
The project involves extensive improvements to existing footpaths with widening and resurfacing, and the creation of a new dedicated route for the residents of the nearby retirement village to reach Cranleigh’s centre.
Responses to a public consultation held in October last year were overwhelmingly positive, with respondents believing the plans to be an enhancement of the current road situation and enhancement to public access to the canal and countryside.
