Appeal for £60k to keep restored section of Whitchurch canal open

Mark Lacey, from the Whitchurch Waterway Trust, said the restored section of canal was in need of costly maintenance

An appeal has been launched to raise £60,000 to keep a short stretch of canal in Shropshire open.

The branch of the Llangollen Canal was restored towards Whitchurch in 1993 by the Whitchurch Waterway Trust.

However, while the trust plans further restoration, chair Mark Lacey said it was faced with large costs to maintain the current stretch of about 300m of canal.

"These costs run into more than £100,000," he said.

"We need to put aside several thousand pounds a year in order to pay for these costs when they come up."

The maintenance includes removing silt from the waterway and replacing the metal piling around its edges.

Mr Lacey said the charitable trust hoped to get income from leasing out moorings and grants but had started a crowdfunding page for the £60,000.

The section of the Llangollen Canal was restored towards Whitchurch in 1993