A Planning Application is being lodged with Warrington Borough Council to demolish and develop the only major historic waterways buildings on the Bridgewater Canal in the town.

Waterways interests throughout the country are horrified at the proposals.

We hope local enthusiasts will write to the Council to voice their opposition to the plans.

The major buildings under threat are the house and former stables of the canal at London Bridge in Stockton Heath. In the days of horse-drawn boats (captured here by the camera of the famous Warrington artist Oswald Garside) the stables were needed for the horses of the passenger boats plying via Runcorn between Liverpool & Manchester . They are unique on the canal and in the area. We have lost too much of our canalside heritage already.

We must not lose this.

Even though taken around 80 years ago, this view is still recognisable today. But not only history is under threat, Thorne Marine, the present canal-based business using the premises, is an oasis for boaters using the canals - it is the only chandlers between Middlewich and Chorley - and provides the only live source of information about the local waterways (including the Sankey) for many miles around.