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John Bercow MP Visits Buckingham Canal Restoration Sites

Local councillors join MP to review progress and to appreciate the vision to deliver restored waterway.

ohn Bercow MP Visits Buckingham Canal Restoration Sites

In the photo are (left to right) David Polhill (Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council and councillor for Buckingham), Tim Mills (Aylesbury Vale District Council councillor for Buckingham North), Alex Mathews (Thornton parish meeting) and Rt Hon John Bercow MP (Speaker, MP for Buckingham and a Patron of the Buckingham Canal Society).

Buckingham, Bucks, October 2010: The Rt Hon John Bercow, MP for Buckingham, recently joined a group of Buckingham Canal Society members to spend part of his weekend reviewing the work undertaken by the Society. Three restoration sites were visited in unexpectedly fine weather, including Hyde Lane Lock near Thornborough Mill and Little Hill Farm near Thornton. The third site was at Bourton Meadow near Buckingham which the Society plans be the first part of the canal back in water.

John recently agreed to became a Patron of the Society and is offering advice and support in their fundraising activities. The party was joined by Councillor David Polhill, Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, together with with Aylesbury Vale District Councillor Tim Mills and Thornton Parish Councillor Alex Matthews.

In the current programme the restoration project is being financed through grants and fundraising and in addition, non-monetary assistance has been forthcoming from several organisations including Buckinghamshire County Council which has recently entered into a partnership with the Society.

After reviewing the work undertaken, John said “It is a pleasure to see first hand the work undertaken by the Society members. I have been very impressed with the vision of the canal restoration and to see real and tangible progress is wonderful. The project will bring many benefits to Buckingham and the Ouse Valley both from economic, environmental and potential flood management perspectives.”

David Polhill added “Both as Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council and as the local county councillor I am pleased that we are able to help in this work which epitomises the Big Society concept which we are embracing. This continues to demonstrate the best practices of the community working together with the support of local government. The project will clearly benefit all the communities it touches both in collaboration that it brings and the end result of a restored waterway.”