the canal remained in a derelict state until the early 1960s, when the wisbech end was filled in to allow the a1101 churchill road link to be built without destroying the historic town centre. much of the rest of the canal was used as a landfill site, and consequently any development within 270 yd (250m) of the former line of the canal requires special consent from cambridgeshire county council's waste management services department.