About the project
The project, which will improve the towpath and enhance wildlife habitat along the canal, will make the historic waterway more attractive and puddle-free for boaters and local residents.
Funded by the Government’s Towns Fund, the towpath improvements are the first Towns Fund project to be delivered by the council. It will see five and a half miles of towpath resurfaced and widened. Access to the canal will also be improved making it easier for residents and boaters to visit and access local shops and businesses.
The new year-round towpath surface will run from Branston Water Park to Dove Aqueduct and will create a puddle and traffic-free route for walkers, boaters, and cyclists.
Additional money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Transforming The Trent Valley scheme will pay for improvements to wildlife habitat along the canal, giving a boost to pollinators as well as birds and mammals including the critically endangered water vole.
The water voles will benefit from the installation of special coir rolls, which are sausage-shaped mats pre-planted with wildflowers and water plants. As well as protecting the canal bank from erosion and creating a lush green waterway edge, the rolls provide homes for the burrowing water voles. New trees will also be planted, and hedgerows improved to give a boost to nature recovery and re-establishing safe green highways for wildlife such as dragonflies, dormice, and bees.
The project will be delivered in three phases with the first phase being from Branston Water Park to the outskirts of Burton which will be completed early in the new year. The second phase from Stretton to Dove Aqueduct will follow, with the final phase focusing on the Snobhall area. During the works, the towpath and visitor boat moorings will remain open for as long as possible. The project is expected to be completed in spring / early summer 2024.
Transforming places
James Dennison, said: “This project will transform this section of towpath for the many local people who use it as part of their daily commute to work or as part of a nature walk into town. Our canals were originally built to transport goods around the country but now they are a place for boaters, and the local people who live and work alongside them, to spend some time in nature and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being by water.
“Research has shown that being by water makes us all feel happier and healthier, and this improvement will mean local people can visit throughout the year with the assurance that the towpath will be puddle-free.”
Cllr Rob Hawkins, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development, said: “The Council has worked closely with the Canal & River Trust to ensure Burton’s allocation of the Government’s Towns Fund is put to good use, with the works to the towpath at Branston Water Park being but one example of this.
“These works will see improved access to the town’s canals, helping build much needed connections between various parts of Burton, allowing residents and visitors to explore the town whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery the canals provide. Having visited the site and seeing the progress of this development first hand, I look forward to seeing how the project will continue to grow going into 2024.”
