Come and see our plans for the five part Newent Station Project which will be on display at Newent Memorial Hall between 10 and 3. Members of the team will be present to share more details and answer any queries.
Starting at 10:00am and continuing until 3:00pm
at Newent Memorial Hall
Location - Next to Market House GL18 1PT
For many years the H & G Canal Trust has nurtured a strategy for the restoration of Newent Station along with the extension of the canal from both eastern and western directions. These plans include a significant new stretch of water from Oxenhall up to the old station platforms, a distance of nearly a third of a mile (nearly half a kilometre).
Restoring this stretch of canal isn’t just about preserving heritage - it’s about unlocking real, lasting benefits for the Newent community.
This is an ambitious and inspiring undertaking, and we can’t do it alone … whether you can offer financial support, professional expertise in planning, engineering, or construction, or simply time and enthusiasm to help on the ground - we need you.
Together, we can bring this vital piece of Newent’s history back to life.
November 2024 saw a significant move by the Trust in this direction with a request for advice from FoDDC (Forest of Dean District Council) about a future planning application. FoDDC have provided a positive, yet challenging, response with a list of pre-requisites to be addressed before a planning application can be made.
The Trust will now address the following:
• Arboricultural assessment
• Biodiversity net gain
• Arboricultural Method Statement
• Tree Protection plan
• Archaeological assessment
• Heritage statement
• Lighting Impact assessment
• Land contamination statement
• Landscape assessment
• Waste minimisation statement
• Footpath Diversion Application
• Flood Risk
• Ecological Impact (to include bats, dormice, great crested newts, otter, water voles and reptiles)
• Construction plans / drawings detailing the five phases of development:
• Extension of the canal east from Oxenhall
• Reconstruction of the Newent Station buildings and surrounding landscape
• Canal and winding pool east of the Fire Station
• Bridge over the B4215 Dymock road
• Reconstruction of Lock No.2 at Oxenhall
The target for the submission of a planning application is 2026.
The scheme will be divided into a number of sections …
- Initially work will cover the restoration of the canal from the site of Lock No 2 below Oxenhall House Lock through The Willows to the start of what we call the Station Section.
- The second stage will focus on the restoration of the station buildings, the platform and the surrounding area.
- Work will then continue on the east side of Bridge Street (Ledbury Road) alongside the fire station
- The two sections each side of Bridge Street will then be connected with a new bridge.
- Finally, this complete section will be re-connected to the canal remaining in water at Oxenhall by the recreation of the missing Oxenhall Lock No. 2.
Come and see the plans at Newent Memorial Hall on 14 June 2025 between 10am and 3pm. Volunteers from the Trust will be available to provide more information on the scheme.
This is an important project and we need volunteers at all levels to help make it happen.
