Canal restoration scheme gets £200k funding boost

Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust is working to restore seven miles of canals

A charity has been awarded £200,000 to help it restore a historical part of the canal network.

The funding for Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (LHCRT) comes from money allocated from local developer contributions to help towards the Gallows Reach section of the project.

The overall scheme is about seven miles in length, from Ogley Junction on the Birmingham Canal Navigations to Huddlesford Junction on the Coventry Canal.

The Gallows Reach part of the work will also create a traffic-free pedestrian route linking new housing developments in Lichfield at Cricket Lane and St John's Grange.

The funding will cover materials for a 225m stretch of canal, including sheet piling for the sides and a watertight lining for the canal bed.

"This funding is fantastic news," said Derek Lord, LHCRT trustee. "It will bring us closer to our vision of a fully restored canal."

He added: "It recognises the project's strategic value in enhancing green infrastructure, promoting sustainable transport, and supporting local regeneration, as well as another step towards reconnecting the Lichfield Canal to Huddlesford Junction."

The first phase of the Gallows Reach section of the scheme, at Tamworth Road Narrows, is nearing completion.

It has included the installation of a lift bridge and work due to start on a culvert on Cricket Lane.