The incredible £9m plan to transform the Cotswolds | United Kingdom | News
One of the UK’s most beautiful areas is working on an incredible £9 million plan to completely change a key part of it. The Cotswold Canals Restoration Project is an ambitious initiative to bring the historic Stroudwater Navigation and Thames & Severn Canal back to life, covering a total of 36 miles.
In 1975, the Cotswold Canals Trust was registered as a charity to protect and restore the canals of the Cotswolds. In 2001, the new Cotswold Canals Partnership committed to restoring full navigability to the Cotswold Canals, with the aim of improving conservation, biodiversity and local quality of life.
The project aims to reconnect these waterways to the national canal network, creating a vibrant corridor for wildlife, recreation and tourism.
Significant progress has been made with the six-mile restoration completed and a further four miles currently underway, including overcoming engineering challenges such as the canal route under the M5 motorway.
The next phase, known as ‘Cotswold Canals Connected’, focuses on linking the restored sections with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at Saul Junction.
The project, supported by organizations including the Cotswold Canals Trust, Stroud District Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to improve local biodiversity, promote cultural heritage and bring economic benefits to the area.
The project involves many volunteer efforts, including maintaining towpaths, operating boats and participating in conservation initiatives.
Recently, leading engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask brought its multidisciplinary expertise to the Cotswold Canals Connected project, playing a central role in restoring the “missing mile” of Stroudwater navigation.
Dave Bathurst, regional director of Rodgers Leask in Bristol, said Building Design and Construction Review: “The solutions being developed are a blend of technicality and practicality, which would not be possible without determined coordination and collaboration with Cotswold Canal Connected and an enthusiasm for design excellence within our team.
“At the heart of this project is a sense of social value that will be restored to an impressive but long-forgotten connection to our industrial past. Once restored, the canal will take on a new but no less important objective, that of amenity for local inhabitants. people. Exchange its original use for transporting coal and other important goods, for a use that will facilitate recreation and tourism.
“For Rodgers Leask, this project represents another successful example of our growing portfolio of canal and waterway projects which also includes recent involvement in the restoration of the Chesterfield Canal.
Chris Mitford-Slade, project manager at Cotswold Canals Connected, added: “The restoration of this section of the canal is an exciting step forward for both the local community and the environment. It will create a space combining heritage and habitat for the benefit of all.
