Powys town council labels canal investment 'irresponsible'

At a meeting held on April 26, the council deliberated on a proposal that would leave the town council responsible for maintaining and operating the wharf.

The council were asked whether to proceed with carrying out an underwater survey on the condition of the canal structure, which Powys County Council had previously declined to carry out due to the high costs of the review and no certain answer over whether Welshpool Town Council intended to take the wharf off their hands.

Cllr Nick Howells said: “I think this wharf business is one big white elephant. The wharf won’t be used unless the canal itself is totally renovated and cleared, which will take tens of millions to do.”

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Cllr Ben Gwalchmai added: “There’s no reason for Powys Council to offer to sell the wharf to us if it was a good asset for them. As someone with an interest in canals and canal locks, I can say that they are expensive and get more expensive over time.

“We can’t afford to take on a sinking ship.”

According to a report read to the council, the wharf structure has a lifespan of 50 years since it was first installed, leaving 15-20 years of use in the one in Welshpool town centre.

The Town Council had previously asked for an underwater survey to be carried out on the structure to determine its viability at a meeting earlier this year.

Cllr Richard Church said: “It is entirely dependant on the result of a survey, we need to know what the survey says about it. An awful lot of money must have been used to build that wharf, so there is a potential for some income from it which can pay for the management costs.

“But we need a lot more information. The life expectancy may be 20 years, but it might deteriorate more rapidly or be there for longer. We cannot continue with the situation where the potential for that wharf has not been realised.”

While some councillors were in favour of the council owning the wharf to capitalise on potential business brought by the Montgomery canal, others remained sceptical.

Cllr Geoffrey Lanagan said: “If we expect it to produce an income stream we’re talking about taking on the canal as an investment. If so, it fails to meet the investment criteria a council should observe. It would be like buying shares in a new startup company.

“I think we should support a private enterprise to take it on so the risk is taken on by someone other than the council. Taking it on as a high risk investment is irresponsible.”

The council agreed to renew their request for Powys County Council to carry out an underwater survey of the structure and make a decision based on the results.