We're inviting anyone who cares about their local canal or river to give their views on the way they're looked after at the meeting taking place in Castleford on Thursday 14th April.
With flooding affecting waterways from Selby to Sowerby Bridge the meeting will give people the opportunity to hear about what's been happening on their local stretch and find out about ongoing works to get everything back up and running as quickly as possible.
As well as flooding, the meeting will discuss the ways in which communities across the county are getting more closely involved in the day-to-day care of their local canals and rivers. It will also be an opportunity to hear about the work that we have put into making local waterways better for the many thousands of people that visit them every year.
Important part of daily life
The region's canals and rivers play an important part in daily life, attracting millions of visits each year, supporting local businesses and providing important wildlife corridors into the heart of our towns and cities. It's our job to care for the waterways so they can be enjoyed by local people and that their valuable heritage features and important habitats can be protected for future generations to enjoy.
Locally we care for historic locks, bridges and tunnels, looks after dozens of oak lock gates, keeps hundreds of miles of towpath clean and safe and works with hundreds of volunteers from local communities.
Jon Horsfall, waterway manager for the Trust, said; “Flooding will obviously be at the forefront of many people's minds and this meeting will be an opportunity to highlight the great work that's been taking place locally. We've had fantastic support from local volunteers and partner organisations that has resulted in us being able to open stretches of canal and towpath in time for the busy Easter period. There's still much to be done however and the meeting will set out our plans for the coming months.
“Aside from the flooding the meeting is also just a really good opportunity for people to find out more about what we do in caring for their local canal or river and have their say on what they would like to see improved. Whether they are boaters, walkers, cyclists, anglers or canoeists we hope they will find the meeting informative we'd love to see them there.”
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 14 April from 17:00 to 20:00 at The New Wheatsheaf Conference & Banqueting Centre, Altofts Lane, Whitwood, Castleford WF10 5PZ. A buffet and light refreshments will be provided.
Anyone interested in attending can find details of the North East Customer Forum, and book their place online.
