Dredging Approaching Final Stages

Cornwall Council are pleased that a complex operation to dredge the canal is entering its final stages.

The programme to dredge the Bude Canal started in November 2022, at which point impact on canal users and facilities was very limited, working in the inland zones where an excavator can reach the channel from the bank. However, since November 2023 the much more challenging task of dredging the lower zones has resulted in part of the Crescent Carpark being taken up by storage lagoons and pipelines running into the canal.

Whilst it would have always been impossible to avoid such a major project having impact on users of the space, this is what we have done to keep it to a minimum:

• Major embankment repairs have taken place at the same time, reducing the overall length of major works activity on the site
• Working closely with activity providers to provide access to non-operational zones of the canal for their business activity to continue
• Standing operations down over bank holiday weekends

Remaining activity:

From Monday 20^th May dredging is planned to move to the Harbour zone which will take approx one week

• From then on there are some sections of the zone from Falcon Bridge to Truscott’s Bridge still to be dredged
• Overall, the target completion date is the last week in June, which is to include removal of lagoons from the carpark, reducing works space in the carpark down to just the overflow carpark and a smaller area of the main carpark needed temporarily to complete the embankment repairs.

The two major enhancement projects delivered by the dredging and embankment repairs represent significant investment in this iconic feature of Bude and demonstrate the Council’s commitment to maintaining this important asset for the community.

We are delighted that the works are on-track to be completed prior to the important summer holidays.