The community activities are part of ambitious plans to restore the 200-year-old Montgomery Canal, which have been boosted by a £160,200 development grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This will help us progress plans to apply for a further grant towards the £6 million cost of the project.
We will work with the 14 organisations which make up the Montgomery Canal Partnership to fully restore the canal as a haven for people and nature and bring canal boats back for the first time in 80 years.
The funding includes the opportunity to stage community activities and we are now seeking the views of local people and other interested parties to see what type of activities they might like to take part in.
The community activities should be:
- Related to the canal heritage, its future or its wildlife
- Of a recreational nature or to develop skills
- Delivered through taster sessions, community events or family-fun days
The consultation meeting is to be held in the Llanymynech Village Hall between 10.00 am and 2.00pm on Saturday 10 January. There will also be wildlife craft activities for children.
Montgomery Canal Community Development Officer, Sylvia Edwards said: “Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund support and National Lottery players, Glandŵr Cymru has an exciting opportunity to put together a package of community activities focused on the Montgomery Canal. Now we want the public's views to help us put together a programme for everyone.
“To realise the full heritage and recreational potential of this restoration project, Glandŵr Cymru wants to involve as many people as possible within the canal corridor through a wide range of community activities.
“200 years ago, the canal was the motorway of its day. Today it's a quiet backwater that's only navigable for a short section. We want activities that will help people understand how important the canal was and just what it can be today.”
Also on show at the consultation meetings will be a large scale map showing the proposed improvements to the Montgomery Canal.
The improvements include the reopening of 1¼ miles of canal, reinstatement of a winding hole (a turning point allowing narrowboats to turn around) at Crickheath and towpath improvements between Welshpool and Llanymynech.
The project also aims to complete the enlargement of Aston Locks nature reserve, extending the conservation of important aquatic plants, restoring historic bridges and carrying out further studies to secure the full funding needed for the project.
