Our plans for the restoration of the lock are progressing again and we have now received advice from the Environment Agency that the waste contained in the lock will need to be disposed of at a recognised waste processing site. We were required to sample the contents due partly to the site being a registered land fill site by the County Council. We believe it was used to take the remains of a Long Eaton factory as when we were sampling the contents we came across an old bobbin. Unfortunately some of the 15 samples showed some metal particles and two of them showed a small residue of asbestos. Whilst the asbestos level is at 1.5 parts per thousand this is just over the allowable level and so we will need to employ special procedures to remove it.
We are therefore delighted to have found an expert in waste disposal who has offered to work out the appropriate approach and supervise the removal to ensure that we meet all the safety regulations applying to this type of work. Once the spoil is removed we will be able to repair and restore the lock chamber with local volunteers and make it accessible to the local residents who have shown a keen interest in the work and are very supportive and encouraging of the project. We are now looking to receive quotes for the removal by contractors which will then form the basis for bids for funding from HLF and other sources. With the lock recovery under our belts we can turn our attention to larger restoration projects.
Any offers of help from members or others with appropriate expertise would be most gratefully received.
Chris Madge
Chairman