New Lease of life for Itchen NavigationPlans to restore one of the regions most important waterways have received a welcome cash boost. The Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail Project has been given a £48000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This money, along with funding from the Environment Agency, will be used to investigate the status of the Itchen Navigation, once an important trading link between Winchester and the sea.
The Itchen Navigation ceased trading in 1869 and both the physical structure and the wildlife habitats are in need of sympathetic conservation works to restore them to a favourable condition.
The money will be used to establish priorities in terms of management, nature conservation, heritage and access. Plans will then be formulated, in consultation with stakeholders, to preserve the Navigation for the next century. A bid to further funds will then be submitted to the HLF to project development and capital works.
The project will access all existing work plus the current management of the area to formulate a co-ordinated plan to secure the Navigations future. Major issues include engineering and tree management to ensure the banks and structure are stable and secure. The project will also focus on existing public access on Itchen Way as well as nature conservation and historic conservation, existing and new management, interpretation, stakeholder interest, including riparian owners, and all legal issues.
Leah Mathias was appointed Itchen Navigation Project Officer in 2004 to run this planning phase. The post sits with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust on behalf of a partnership comprising the Environment Agency, Winchester City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Hampshire County Council and English Nature.
To find out more e-mail Leah at leahm@hwt.org.uk
